Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

Will the Leader ensure adequate time is provided for consultation on the Bill with interested parties? Will a good break be provided for between Second and Committee Stages to allow for such consultation rather than rushing the legislation through?

Yesterday, we witnessed a new level of disunity and disagreement among Ministers on the way forward economically with the Tánaiste becoming the latest to rubbish the McCarthy report, yet the Minister for Finance said it would form the basis of the forthcoming budget. This is poor leadership by the Government at a critical time for the country and it does not inspire confidence regarding the tough decisions that must be taken in the weeks and months ahead.

I refer to another area in which there is a serious lack of leadership by the Government. I am a member of the Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children and we were disturbed yesterday when the Minister of State with responsibility for children, Deputy Barry Andrews, announced that the Government would revert to the wording of the 2007 legislation which provided poor protection for children. All parties represented on the committee had decided a new wording was needed but the Minister of State said the Government would row back to the original wording. The Chairman of the committee, Deputy O'Rourke, expressed the view that she did not agree with this; therefore, we are in limbo about what will happen regarding a constitutional amendment on children's rights. The Green Party made no submission to the committee. Is the new position a Government position? Does the Green Party agree with it? Where now for children's rights?

Senators were concerned earlier this year about the Ryan commission report. A report was subsequently published by the Government to implement the commission's findings. It is time the Minister of State was invited to the House to discuss these vital issues. It is disturbing that it looks like the Government parties have lost the heart and the will to lead on the issue of children's rights and do not have the confidence to put a strong constitutional amendment to the people. They have lost courage and are not leading on this critical issue which was highlighted in the Ryan report. The Minister of State should come to the House as soon as possible to outline the Government's views and why it has taken this decision, which is a retrograde step. We spent months at the committee working on a new wording, yet the Government has rowed back on it. This is serious and I would like the Minister of State to come to the House to give us the full picture.

The Minister of State brought the Adoption Bill 2009 through the House and subsequently addressed the House on the bilateral agreement with Vietnam without ever putting the full facts about it on the table. Many aspiring adoptive parents want to know the facts about the agreement. What will happen? When will it happen? Will there be no agreement? If so, what are the proposals for parents caught up in this issue?