Ivana Bacik (Independent)

I agree. We have seen a complete abdication of responsibility for governing and driving transport policy and, as other speakers said, a handing over of responsibility to quangos. We need a debate on the issue.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for welcoming the distinguished delegation in the Distinguished Visitors Gallery. I also wish to welcome its members on my own behalf. It is a UNICEF-led group from Indonesia which comprises parliamentarians and members of the public service with a particular interest in child protection. It is an important visit because it will take the delegation north and south of the Border. The delegates will be speaking to various agencies and non-governmental organisations and meeting the Minister of State with responsibility for children and youth affairs, Deputy Barry Andrews. They are studying the way in which we provide services for children. In that context, I ask for a debate on our child protection services. This is topical because I hope we will see the referendum on children's rights being held in the autumn and today the House will deal with the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2009. Our child protection procedures have been greatly improved in recent years, largely as a result of the horrific revelations about the neglect and abuse of children in State-run or State-funded institutions. While we must all welcome the improvements made, we also recognise that we have much still to do; in particular, we need to strengthen the role of the guardian ad litem to ensure the voice of the child is heard in proceedings involving the State, where the State is seeking to take a child into care or in private custody cases in which the parents are disputing custody and access to children. Therefore, a debate on child protection would be timely. Once again, I welcome the UNICEF delegation and compliment UNICEF on its work on the issue of child protection.