Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

If I do not use all my time I would like to share it with my colleague, if that is possible. I welcome the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to the House. There are only four Members who were Members when she was Leader of the Opposition. In that capacity she was exemplary in her work. There was always a great debate on the Order on the Business when she had done her research. I was delighted that she was appointed as Minister for children, a full Cabinet position, which was a good move by the Government. She has done an excellent job since her appointment less than a year ago as it took some time to establish the Department.

It is unfortunate that the number of children in care is high, but it is not as high in proportion to other countries. There are too many young people in care. For a country of its size with a family oriented people, it is extraordinary that the number in care has increased by 13.7% between 2006 and 2010. Since then the figure increased further from 5,727 to 6,160, an increase of 433, or 7.6%. These numbers are very high. I pay tribute to those who care for children and, particularly, foster parents who provide an great service. From my experience foster parents have gone above and beyond the call of duty in doing this work.

The proposed referendum was part and parcel of the commitment of the previous Government and this Government. The report published in February 2010 was chaired by the former Minister, Mary O'Rourke, the Vice Chairman of which was the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan. The Minister, Deputy Frances Fitgerald, played a comprehensive role in that most comprehensive report. I have particular praise for the Chairman who was very patient and all the members of the committee. The Minister was an active member of the committee as was Deputy Shatter and other Ministers. It was a matter on which there was consensus and an agreed Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution Act 2009 in respect of children's rights. That was the final report.

I ask the Minister to elaborate on her views as of today in respect of the referendum. I appreciate she has given a commitment to have the referendum in 2012 and that it will be a standalone referendum. Will she confirm if the work is under way for the preparation of the required legislation, and when she expects the wording for the amendment to the Constitution to be finalised? While the Minister has committed to a single referendum, at that time nobody was aware that a referendum would be required in respect of the EU fiscal compact treaty. I ask her to bear in mind the circumstances. There is great support and interest in having the referendum this year, given that it is more than two years since the report was published. At that time, the wording was generally agreed by the Attorney General. Since then there has been a change of Government and the Government has the right to decide.

When summing up will the Minister comment on the Ballydowd special care unit in the Health Service Executive Dublin Mid-Leinster inspection report published on 6 March 2012. Certain recommendations and views expressed in the report have caused concern, particularly in respect of the isolation of an individual child and the management of this unit.

Inspectors found from unit records that this child was confined to a bedroom on five occasions since July 2011 for periods ranging between one hour 30 minutes and 12 hours. These incidents were recorded and reported as single separation. The concerns of the authority in relation to this child were brought to the immediate attention of the national director for children and family services and the national manager for high support and special care services. In addition to this case being addressed directly with the national managers, this standard cannot be met unless all incidents of single separation are acknowledged, reported and recorded in a way that meets the national standards for special care. The Department of Health and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs probably have responsibility in this regard. This will be a timely opportunity for the Minister to outline her views on the report prepared by the Health Information and Quality Authority published on 6 March 2012. It is an important and detailed report on children in care. I appreciate it can be extremely difficult to manage these children. I do not say it is a particularly easy job for anybody. That is not a criticism of the standard of care but the procedures and the resources available to them.

I welcome the fact that the Minister has appointed 62 new social workers. That is a great achievement at a difficult fiscal time, as is the fact that she is successful at the Cabinet table. If she did not have a full Cabinet position she would not be able to achieve so much but given that she is in a position to persuade, the Cabinet will support her.

In regard to other innovations in the child care area-----