Alex White (Labour)

I felt like I was sitting in the middle of an orchestra pit for a few moments, with all of the sounds to be heard.

While I support my colleagues' call for a debate on victim impact statements, the judge in question has performed an important service for the community in making his remarks for which he has been criticised and for the context in which they were made but the legal profession, particularly the Judiciary, is often criticised for living in a cocoon and not engaging in public debate. There are certain restrictions on those involved in the legal profession but in this case the judge is also an adjunct professor of law at University College Cork and he took the opportunity to raise this issue. He should be commended for doing so. I agree there should be a debate in this House but when a judge steps off the bench to make such an observation as part of a public debate, it should be welcomed, as it does not happen often enough.

I want to raise with the Deputy Leader the publication yesterday of a report by the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, on the placement of children under 12 years in residential care, as reported in the newspapers today. It is remarkable that in this day and age, according to the chief inspector, some 5,000 children are in care. While it may seem relatively low, the figure is significant. The chief inspector acknowledges that the number is low but says it is disproportionately large when compared with best practice internationally. This matter should be of concern to Members of the House and the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children with responsibility for children, Deputy Brendan Smith. There have been other calls to have him come before the House. I ask the Deputy Leader to add this matter to the list of issues he will address.