Rónán Mullen (Independent)

Ba bhreá liom fáilte a chur roimh an Aire. Tá áthas orm go bhfuil an méid ráite agus atá ráite aici. Chomh fada agus a théann sí, tá fáilte le cur roimh an méid sin. Is maith an rud é go bhfuil sé i gceist ag an Rialtas an líne chabhrach seo a chur ar bun. Tá géarghá leis. Chuala mé cad a dúirt an Seanadóir van Turnhout - bhí an ceart ar fad aici faoi na hábhair a chlúdaigh sí. I welcome the commitment given by the Minister in so far as it goes and I pay tribute to the people who maintained pressure on the Government to treat this issue with urgency. I first heard about the issue from Mr. Tom Brown, who I note is in the Visitors' Gallery for this debate. It is important that we continue to listen to those who are most concerned about these issues. Sometimes the political establishment can be slow to do what is needed unless the pressure to act is maintained.

The Minister outlined, with certain caveats, what she intends to do. It is welcome that she has brought a memorandum to Cabinet and that a project team is to be established. To sum up what she has said, she intends to do what she can to put the number in place in 2012. However, a number of questions arise from her comments. She referred to the need for the service to be financially sustainable. I find that language rather unusual because I regard sustainability as meaning something must pay for itself. That is what sustainability means when we speak about energy, for example. We must acknowledge that the service will give rise to a cost irrespective of whether the State provides it directly or in partnership with an NGO. While she is correct to draw our attention to the need to operate the service in the most cost effective manner, she also needs to describe the issues arising in a more focused way. She did not go into detail on the costs that may be incurred. If she is going to make a comprehensive statement on an issue such as this, she will have to try to set out what she thinks it will cost. That is a basic requirement in addressing the issue at this early stage. Perhaps she has figures in mind but is not prepared to share them because it is early days but it would be useful for us to hear her estimate.

I did not clearly understand her comments on the position of NGOs. She noted that no organisation applied for the missing child hotline number when ComReg invited applications but she also admitted that she has met NGOs which were eager to assist in the establishment of the hotline. Perhaps she can join the dots by explaining how both these statements can be true. What was preventing NGOs from applying for the mandate or licence to provide this service?

Senator Hayden was correct to refer to what can be done in schools. It is a question of helping people who are in a bad place in their own minds. Children who go missing after entering the State and children who are abducted in the context of family disputes were mentioned. It is important that a straightforward message is provided to those who are in vulnerable situations. This is precisely why it is important that the same number applies across the EU.

Everybody is familiar with the 999 number. How would that interact with the hotline? Would emergency service providers be in a position to connect callers with the hotline?

As we have the Minister in the House, it is appropriate to ask for her response to a somewhat extraneous matter. The Ombudsman for Children wants the legislation to be amended to provide for an independent complaints mechanism for two categories of children, namely, children who are in prison and separated children seeking asylum. Yesterday she told the Oireachtas Committee on Investigations, Oversight and Petitions that she was happy with her interaction with public bodies in cases involving these categories of children. They had responded positively to her interventions and certain changes had ensued. Nonetheless she is anxious that an independent complaints mechanism be established. Perhaps the Minister will outline her views of the Ombudsman's aspiration in that regard.

Guím gach rath ar an Aire agus í ag tabhairt faoi na hoibrithe tábhachtacha seo. Tá súil agam nach fada a n-imeoidh sula mbeidh an líne chabhrach in úsáid sa tír seo. Tá súil agam go mbeidh an Rialtas in ann na hacmhainní cuí a aimsiú laistigh den Roinn Leanaí agus Gnóthaí Óige nó an Roinn Dlí agus Cirt agus Comhionannais. Tá sé deacair teacht ar airgead chun seirbhísí a chur ar fáil sa tír seo faoi láthair. Tá sé seo i measc na seirbhísí is tábhachtachtaí a d'fhéadfaimís a chur ar fáil do dhaoine.