Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the progress report on the position of children in Ireland. While I agree with Senator Terry that the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, needs to be complimented on his work, it does not matter in what chair the Minister of State sits at the Cabinet table, whether it is high or low, the Senator can rest assured that his two feet are on the ground. He is an individual gifted with a large amount of common sense, which has been reflected in his work since he became responsible for the area of children.

Until recently there was a fragmented approach to children's issues. It is important that not only should those issues be tackled in the manner in which they have been, but also that children's views should be canvassed and heard. In that context, I compliment Westmeath County Council and Mr. Gerry Sheridan, who organised the election of the junior county council in Westmeath, which is an important forum at which young people can give their views on many issues that affect them and society in general. Young people give an unjaundiced view. They will often say things we do not want to hear. Whether we like them or not, those are their views expressed in a clear and unambiguous manner and they should be heard and evaluated.

For the first time in our history we have an Office of the Minister for Children and a Minister of State with responsibility for the area, Deputy Brian Lenihan, at the Cabinet table. This means that the interests of children are taken into account in an unprecedented manner across all areas of Government. Key Government officials have been brought together in the Office of the Minister for Children to work in a co-ordinated and integrated way to deliver the best possible results for children. To this end the staff working in child care, child welfare and child protection from the National Children's Office are amalgamated to form the Office of the Minister for Children and deliver better outcomes for children. Furthermore, staff working in areas of youth justice and education for early years in the Department of Education and Science will be relocated to the Office of the Minister for Children to provide a joined-up Government approach to the development of policy and delivery of services for children and to put a halt to the fragmented approach that existed heretofore in the provision of children's services.

It is accepted that this job is by no means complete and there is no room for complacency. However, real progress has been made, as the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, has highlighted both today and when he appeared before the United Nations committee last month. The national children's strategy was published in 2000, following extensive consultation with children, organisations and individuals, with the objective of providing care and support for children and young people. The strategy is widely respected and supported as a blueprint for improving the lives of all children, especially those who experience disadvantage or have particular needs.

On the Order of Business, a Senator made a request regarding mental health services for the young. Many areas of the country are served by a very good child and adolescent psychiatry service. However, that service needs to be expanded significantly. The midlands have the advantage of having a child and adolescent psychiatry service. The appointment of an Ombudsman for Children has been a significant acknowledgement that children and young people have the same rights as adults to efficient and reliable public services. Great strides have been made in education in recent years, the figures on which were highlighted by the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, in his contribution.

There should be no hiding place for those who abuse children, especially in a sexual manner. Every member of society must be cast in the role of whistle-blower to identify such people and have them brought to justice. Justice needs to be seen to be done by the young people who have been the subject of their hideous and undesired attentions so that those young people can have belief in society and the justice system.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, has issued an edict on fireworks. Fireworks are enjoyed by many people and although they are governed by regulation and legislation, some people, for their own selfish ends, will put those fireworks in the hands of very young children. In my town, Mullingar, serious injuries have been sustained, including one by the son of a member of staff of Westmeath County Council. I use this platform to remind parents and the powers that be, especially the Garda, in this regard. In recent nights fireworks have been set off in Mullingar, much to the discomfort of my dogs and, I am sure, older people who want to get their sleep.

Since 2002, an additional 4,000 teachers have been appointed, an issue highlighted by Senator Terry. Significant strides have been made in the area of education in terms of providing extra support to children with special needs, with an emphasis on those from disadvantaged areas or who need extra help in learning English. The large number of immigrants who are now in Ireland are welcome for the contributions they make to the economy. This morning, a construction contractor based in Mullingar told me that he would be out of business but for the availability of foreign labour. The children of these immigrants, some of whom have little or no English, will benefit from the additional teachers. Not only are these teachers making an immeasurable difference to the lives of children, they also provide back-up for their colleagues in the classroom because the additional teachers have resulted in smaller class sizes.

In 2006, spending on special education initiatives will exceed €640 million. We should acknowledge the improvements that have been made but we must also ensure they are sustained. Funding for school transport will increase by 30% from €116 million this year to €152 million in the coming year. This additional funding will enable every child to sit on individual seats and will pay for the installation of seat belts on all buses by the end of next year. We do not want a repeat of the events which took place in the midlands last year. This year, €636 million will be spent on addressing educational disadvantage.

The Children Act 2001 and the statutory framework it introduced to the youth justice system will also be beneficial. A twin-track approach will be adopted to child welfare and youth justice in order to help children with special care or protection needs, offending children and children with challenging behaviour. The guiding principles of the Act are prevention, diversion and juvenile justice.

While it was always the intention that the Act would be introduced on a phased basis given the scale and complexity of the issues involved and the significant new sections and amendments introduced by the Criminal Justice Act 2006, a considerable portion has already been brought into force by the Ministers for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and Health and Children. To date, a range of provisions have been implemented. The Garda has a pivotal role to play in areas such as the Garda diversion programme, the treatment of child suspects in Garda stations, children in court, child protection measures and some powers of the courts themselves. Work remains to be done on community sanctions and youth detention. With regard to criminal responsibility, new legislation due to come into effect on 16 November will effectively raise the age of criminal responsibility from seven to 12 years in all but the most serious cases.

When it comes to child protection, we must always err on the side of caution. Anyone who becomes aware of child abuse should become a whistleblower rather than leave that responsibility to fall upon carers or parents. During the past decade, the responsibilities of the State with regard to child welfare and protection have been clarified. The legislation and guidelines which have been developed and implemented have increased the responsibilities of caring institutions and individuals who work with children in various capacities.

The changes experienced by those engaged in working with children and families are having a significant impact on their roles. For example, the Child Care Act 1991 places an onus on the HSE to provide preventative and family support services to children in need. The Act makes it clear that each caring institution is required to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care or protection, including children who are at risk or are being neglected or ill-treated. I commend the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, on embracing the need to establish cross-Border co-operation on this issue. We all know that people who want to harm children are not deterred by borders and may attempt to avoid detection by moving between jurisdictions. It is clear that close co-operation in this regard would benefit children throughout the island. The continuing progress made on streamlining the expanded service normally provided by the central Garda vetting unit will, in time, serve all those who work with children and vulnerable adults.

Children are Ireland's future leaders, workers, legislators and parents. As a parent, I am aware of the great responsibility involved in raising children. Parental responsibility is extremely important and should be exercised to its full extent. Parental control is equally important but, regrettably, in some cases it is the children who control their parents. I thank the Minister of State and Senators on all sides of the House for their contributions to this important debate.