Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Much of what I wanted to say has been said, although I wish to make a few observations. The Children Act has been an important instrument in tackling a number of adverse situations as they affect children. Much is being thrown at children these days, including drugs, crime, theft, etc. More than ever before, it is imperative that everything possible is done for the children of today — the Oireachtas Members, parents and workforce of tomorrow — to allow them to have a childhood and to develop.

We must welcome the great work done by gardaí in tackling the DID people, that is, the dealers in death — the drugs barons and the drug pushers. Problems not only occur in disadvantaged areas; one would be surprised to know the addresses about which we talk at times. A good parent can live anywhere.

To some extent, greater emphasis should be placed on the attendance of children at school. I am sure everyone in the Chamber remembers when if a child was absent from school for a day or two and if a satisfactory explanation was not forthcoming from the home, gardaí called to the house to ask where Joe or Mary was. I do not know to what extent that system is still operational today, but I am led to believe that in certain areas truancy is at unacceptable levels.

It has been said that young people must deal with other situations today, including the impact of television and the Internet. Some of the material being downloaded by children from the Internet is outrageous and does not bear mentioning. That problem must be tackled in a forthright manner.

Underage drinking is a problem all over the country, including Mullingar. I am not satisfied that enough is being done to curb underage drinking. When I was doing a course in substance abuse therapy, one of those on the course was a 22-year-old woman who was a dry alcoholic. She was an only child and had regularly been out until the small hours of the morning. Her parents were elderly and were glad to hear her voice when she came home, but they never thought to check what condition she was in. By the time they discovered that she was addicted to alcohol and other substances it was far too late and, consequently, she got into serious trouble with the law.

When speaking about children we must always look at the home and the parents involved. The persona of a child is mainly formed in the home. Some people say there has been a decline in parental control, but I do not think so. In some instances, children are controlling their parents very well. That is the truth. References have been made to attacks on old people. Some teenagers will attack and rob the elderly, leaving them for dead. Senator Bannon mentioned the Jamie Bulger case, which was a serious matter. I agree with my Opposition colleagues that children should not be admitted to institutions unless as a last resort.

Close attention should be paid to the development of child and adolescent psychiatric teams around the country. Planning for future psychiatric services was a great buzz-phrase at one time and Mr. Liam Flanagan was the author of such a report back in the mid-1970s. Such community services are better than the old hospital-based ones but they are expensive to resource.

It is imperative to provide proper funding for the provision of child and adolescent psychiatry, which was the Cinderella service for some years. While matters have improved, there is nothing so perfect that it cannot be further improved. We must keep pushing out the boat. I acknowledge that great strides have been made in this regard. The Children Act was an innovative piece of legislation and many of its provisions have now been brought into operation. Although much has been done, we need to do that little bit more. There is always more to do, but maybe that is one of the curses of being human.

We must focus on our children who will be the politicians and leaders of tomorrow. We must also put those who would corrupt children, in whatever situation, out of circulation where they belong.