Larry Butler (Fianna Fail)

We are having an interesting and good debate on the proposed amendment. I speak from the perspective of being a father and what I would look for in terms of providing shelter, education and various supports for my children. The committee has got this bang on. The proposed amendment is a good document. As a parent I accept that safeguards have to be in place. There is no question that some homes are dangerous places for children. We have to recognise that. There are families who do not bring up their children to the standards to which I aspire. Families expect the Government to support and provide for children up to a certain standard and benchmark. The aim of the amendment is to provide support. I commend the committee on that.

I commend the Minister of State on his work in ensuring the child is to the forefront in anything that we do because our children are the most important people in the country and we have to ensure we look after their welfare. The family home is the best place for the protection of children. Fostering and adoption are the other two areas in which we can ensure children are best served. In the past we let ourselves down badly. The State handed over the responsibility for the care of children. We saw the result of that in the Murphy report. We were badly served. We moved away from the most important unit, the family, including those involved in foster care and adoption, and the children were badly abused in commercial schools. We must protect our children from such a scenario.

Our children should receive the best education possible. The State has an obligation to ensure a good standard of education is available to them. The Minister for Education and Science is moving in the right direction this year by providing a free preschool place for one year for children. That will pay huge dividends in the years to come. Investment has also been made in parks, playgrounds and other recreational facilities. We must not forget the recreational aspect of bringing up children and helping them to develop before they enter their teenage years and adulthood.

The State cannot intervene all the time to overcome the problems encountered in the system. This cannot become a nanny state. It must be ensured families will take responsibility for their children. The onus is on every member of a family to ensure he or she takes this responsibility seriously. It is important that legislation does not take anything from families and that it provides them with the support necessary to make sure children have access to the best education and recreational facilities.

Deputy Andrews is the second Minister of State to be appointed with responsibility for children. I was a member of a health board for eight years and can recall the lack of regulation and support in this area. Services for children were rarely mentioned but now a Minister of State has responsibility for such services which are where they should be. In so doing, high standards will be ensured and good support provided for children to ensure they will develop in the normal way.

It is crucial that we all learn from the Murphy report. It is an important document and shows clearly that when responsibility is handed over to a different organisation, support must be provided for children. Child abuse has also been uncovered within a number of sports organisations, including those responsible for swimming. Unless the appropriate safeguards are in place and no matter how good legislation is, it has to be policed to ensure the best results. That is all we can do in this legislation. It is vital that it be well debated in the House. There is a high standard in this House of teasing out legislation, which is why it is an important chamber. Members have the time and expertise to examine legislation.

I thank the committee for its hard work and simplifying the legislation. People will criticise it but the simpler things are kept, the better. The legislation will do what is required and, with all-party consensus, I am confident it will be passed without much difficulty. The Minister of State will have an important role to play in the referendum and I am sure he will get his message across clearly, as will each of us.