Imelda Henry (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister to the House. I am pleased that she has placed a new priority focus on early intervention and family support services. As we know, early intervention in children's lives and quality early childhood experiences are important to a child's emotional and social development. There are huge benefits from investment in the early years of children. I am pleased that the Minister and her Department have started work on Ireland's first early years strategy. It will provide an innovative and dynamic blueprint for the future strategic development of Ireland's early years sector.

The Government has invested €1.3 billion in early childhood during the past decade and I am pleased that the Minister has maintained strong support for the sector. Early education and child care services make a huge contribution to local communities and represent the first steps our children take into education. Despite the difficult economic circumstances I am pleased that the Government is determined to support the sector.

There have been difficulties in the HSE child and family services and I welcome the reforms that the Minister has taken on the establishment of the new child and family support agency in 2013. I also welcome the prevention and early intervention programme for children and the specific projects that it supports and are co-funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and Atlantic Philanthropies.

While on the subject of philanthropy, I want to mention funding for the Jack & Jill Children's Foundation. I spoke about it in the House before and this is primarily an issue for the Department of Health. As the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, and as one who has great concern for issues affecting children, particularly seriously ill children, I am sure the Minister will take on board the issues. The foundation worries about the slow erosion of HSE supports as small cuts at community level add hugely to the stress levels of families with sick children who are already on the brink in terms of coping. If parents cannot cope and care for their sick children at home more children will end up in hospital. I ask the Minister to speak to her Cabinet colleagues and create a national budget for paediatric home nursing care and increase funding to the Jack & Jill Children's Foundation to enable it continue and expand its invaluable services.

The last time the Minister was here she gave a commitment to set up a project on the 116000 missing children hotline. I am glad to know that ComReg has granted a licence to the ISPCC to operate it. Perhaps the Minister might update us on whether the project team has the support line up and running.

The year 2012 is important for children due to the forthcoming referendum on children's right and I congratulate the Minister on her work to date on it. I warmly welcome the recent confirmation by the Taoiseach that the referendum will be a stand-alone venture and no other question will be put to the people on that day. Is the Minister satisfied that sufficient funding has been ring-fenced for the referendum and how much does she estimate it will cost?

Over the next few months a greater emphasis will be placed on the fiscal compact referendum but we must not lose sight of the children's referendum. Lessons must be learned from last year. I ask the Minister to immediately undertake a national publicity and public information campaign throughout the country. The referendum will only be passed with the full engagement of all of the people as every citizen is a stakeholder in children's rights. I am aware that the Minister and her Department have been working hard on the wording. Perhaps my following question has been asked already but can she advise when she expects to publish the proposed wording for what I assume will be an autumn campaign?

Senator Leyden mentioned slapping. Students on a child care course at the Institute of Technology Sligo conducted a survey on smacking that produced interesting results. They may have sent it to the Minister already or will soon do so but I am interested in it. I do not how one would oversee such a project but I am interested to hear what she has to say on it.