Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

We will have to wait until next May or June. It may be before that. As the Minister of State attends Cabinet meetings, he is fully aware of all the issues pertaining to children.

I do not normally follow Senator Feighan in the House. I commend him on his views on equality of opportunity for Travellers and Traveller families. Those of us involved with Roscommon County Council have tried our best in that respect. It is not the easiest or most politically advantageous issue to raise at any time. We have made some contribution. Traveller children can be educated if they are in fixed abodes. We should commend our schools which have openly and willingly assisted settled Traveller families that are part of the community in the education sector.

When Traveller children reach a certain age, there is a tendency for their families to follow the old-style tradition of withdrawing them from secondary schools. It is a difficulty that is hard to explain. Such children must continue their education and get to third level, if possible. They have the ability, but they sometimes suffer when decisions are made by families not to allow children, especially girls, to continue in the education system. Some Travellers might not want their children to be exposed to the settled community.

I disagree with Senator Feighan's comments on corporal punishment, which I oppose in the home and in schools because I do not think it has contributed anything. We all remember the fear we had when we attended school. I walked a mile and a half to school. It was not a pleasant experience to get six of the best or whatever it might have been. It did not happen to me very often, but it happened to me as it happened to every other child. The best teachers I ever had were Sister Anthony, who taught me in the Convent of Mercy in Roscommon and never slapped a child in her life, and Brother Paul O'Dwyer, who died last year and was in charge of the Christian Brothers school in Roscommon. While the Christian Brothers have been much maligned, I had nothing but good experiences of them in Roscommon.

It is difficult to make corporal punishment in the home illegal. We do not want to go down that road because it would not be possible to enforce it. Most families use corporal punishment as a last resort in any situation. It rarely occurs, as far as possible, but I presume it arises from time to time. All we can do is give the example of our own lives and the way we raise our children. As I have said many times, one becomes somewhat experienced when one has the blessing and fortune of having a family, but one then becomes redundant, which is a strange thing. Grandparents can have a great influence in the area of education.

I would like to comment on the Minister of State's work in the context of this debate on the UN committee's highly commendable report on the progress that has been made on the position of children in Ireland. I am sure the Government is delighted that the UN has produced a report that gives Ireland some very good marks. The Minister of State recently spent a hectic day visiting some of the extraordinary number of quality child care facilities in County Roscommon. He met the parish priest of Fourmilehouse, Rev. Fr. Raymond Browne, who is dynamic in bringing services to that area. He also met Bernie Kearney and others who have helped to develop an impressive state-of-the-art child care centre adjoining the school, community centre, housing for the elderly and church in Fourmilehouse.

I was delighted that the Minister of State attended. He also went to the Lisnamult area of County Roscommon, where child care facilities have been provided for some time. I am sure he will not be found wanting when the authorities from that area contact him seeking assistance with a major development of that facility. I had the honour of serving with the Minister of State's father, the late Brian Lenihan, whom I succeeded as TD for Roscommon.

The Minister of State called to the well-designed state-of-the-art facility in Frenchpark, which was opened by the President. The Taoiseach was there last Friday. There are similar facilities in Loughglynn. The Minister of State also met the group from Tulsk and Cams that is proposing two projects in the area. Since he met the group in question, both projects have been approved by the Government. I am pleased to put such positive developments on the record.

Just as we were under pressure to provide national schools when I was a Deputy, it seems we are now under pressure to provide child care facilities in every town and village. If that is what is required, we will have to provide those facilities. The Minister of State dug the foundation stone and approved the money for a beautiful new centre in Croghan. He also received proposals for a child care facility as part of the youth centre at Circular Road in Roscommon. He will appreciate that representations have been made to him by certain councillors in that area. The worthwhile development in question will be based on a site donated by the State.

I ask the Government to consider in the forthcoming budget the proposal that child care facilities be exempt from rates. The proposal, which was made by Mr. Séamus Butler, who is a member of Longford County Council, has been approved unanimously by that council. It makes sense because the State ultimately must pick up the tab for various overheads of this nature. It is a form of cross-subsidisation. I agree that child care facilities offered by the private and public sectors, communities and co-operatives should be exempt from rates. Rates should not be imposed in such circumstances. I commend Councillor Butler and I ask all local authorities to follow his lead. The motion has been passed by Longford County Council. I ask my friends in Roscommon County Council to agree to this proposal at their next meeting. It would be worthwhile to ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to approve the plan.

I echo the words of Professor Lucy Smith, who is the United Nations representative in this area, in the report being considered by the House. She said it is impressive that so much has been achieved in Ireland in respect of children's rights in such a short period. That is a major statement by the UN. It is right to acknowledge that we have come such a long way. The Office of the Minister for Children was established in the 2006 budget, which also provided for the new early child care supplement and the national strategy for children, which will run from 2006 to 2010.

The Minister of State recently met young people yet again at the highest level of democracy. He has given young people throughout the country a voice in Government by allowing them to express their views to him, to be conveyed in turn to the Government. The Minister of State does not just express his views and those of other mature politicians, but also those of young people who outlined their views to him in an open manner. I listened to the Minister of State when he spoke on television about this matter which received tremendous coverage.

The drafting of the new child protection regulations has commenced. The level of investment in education is unprecedented, as I have already said in the context of my home county. The Government made the wise decision to approve the appointment of the first Ombudsman for Children, who has been appointed by the President in accordance with usual procedure.

An expert on the UN committee highlighted that social expenditure on children in Ireland has doubled since 1997. This huge increase underlines the Government's commitment to children. As the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, has said, we are working hard to ensure that our economic success leads to positive social change. That is most important in the area of the rights of children. I welcome the announcement that the Minister of State is engaged in an article-by-article examination of the Constitution to ensure it is child-proofed. A referendum on this subject would be a landmark in the history of the State. While we should not rush such a poll, it should be provided for in the lifetime of this Government or early in the next Fianna Fáil, Progressive Democrats and Labour Party Administration.