Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I thank him for attending this debate. As Minister of State with responsibility for children, he has an important job. It is accepted that last week's budget was a difficult and disappointing one for the elderly. Equally, it was not sufficiently supportive of children and their families. The Minister of State mentioned some of the cutbacks which are to be made in the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. The periods of eligibility for early child care supplement and child benefit are to be reduced. Parents who try to support their children as they go through college will have to pay certain fees. A number of other decisions were made which were not supportive of children. The question of values that has arisen in respect of the elderly is also relevant in this instance. We need to consider how we value different groups in society. What sort of funding do we want to put in place to support our children? Parents are concerned about critical issues like child care, which I will focus on in my contribution to this debate. I will also mention two other matters which I would like the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, to comment on when he brings this debate to a conclusion.

The issue of trafficking was highlighted yesterday in a report on RTE's "Six One News". Society needs to reflect on the disappearance of over 400 young people who had been taken into the care of the HSE. Other countries provide "safe sanctuaries" to protect children who are at risk of traffickers. I am sure the Minister of State, Deputy Andrews, will agree that the story outlined in the RTE report was horrific. The young woman who was interviewed spoke about the horrific experiences she had endured in this country. From the age of 12, she was subjected to appalling sexual abuse in the towns of this country. As she was involved in prostitution, paedophiles had access to her. We need to examine the sanctuary we give to young people in such circumstances. I have visited hostels to see for myself the conditions many children are in. I will send the Minister of State a copy of the report I have produced on unaccompanied children. The case highlighted by RTE yesterday illustrates that many young people are not secure in hostels.

The second matter I would like to comment on was the subject of an article in last Saturday's The Irish Times. I am sure the Minister of State read the article in question, "Life and a Death on the Streets", which was written by Carl O'Brien. It recounted the case of a young person who had an horrific time after he was taken into care. He died after he failed to get the kind of supports he needed. A separate debate in this House, on the question of what happens to children after they go into care, is required.