Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes. There are well over 100 heads in the Bill and a serious amount of work has been done on it over the past year. It represents major reform.

The Children First Bill is also very complex legislation. I have had the benefit of the committee's responses on that. We need to bring revised heads of the Bill to the Government. I hope that will happen before the end of this term. The Bill will be introduced later in the year. The Children First legislation raises very complex issues. It involves huge reform in regard to mandatory reporting of concerns about child protection and has major implications for organisations, professionals and individuals. The committee pointed out, in its 600-page examination of the Bill, the series of issues involved. We have worked through them. A huge amount of work is being done. I do not want to rush the legislation. We have to do the work on this properly because we cannot get it wrong. It has implications for medical professionals, teachers and all professionals working with children. It is being progressed.

In regard to training, it is important to note that there have been substantial improvements in this regard since the introduction of the early child hood care and education scheme. This is a difficult and stressful time for the parents of children who featured in the RTE report, for whom counselling services have been made available. I understand RTE was very sensitive in its dealings with parents in the course of the making of the programme, with careful efforts made to avoid undue intrusion into the lives of their children. I am, of course, concerned for those people who have received stressful information about the care given to their children in the facilities in question. I did not see the programme in advance of its airing on Tuesday night. I was available to participate in it but, as it confirmed the other day, RTE did not choose to invite me to do so.

I thank Senators for their contributions to the debate. I hope I have dealt with the major issues that were raised.