Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

It was wrong of Senator Barrett to say what he said about Members on this side of the House. The fact of the matter is that we did not vote to abolish the Seanad but to put the matter to the people. The record of contributions made by Members on this side of the House will show that they not only supported the reform agenda but also supported the reform Bills put forward by Members on the other side of the House. The matter was put to the people and they spoke. We need to move on from there.

I welcome the launch today of the Child and Family Agency. It will go a long way towards the protection of children. We must remember that, since 1980, we have had 29 major inquiries and reviews concerning child protection failings. We have a shameful legacy of child abuse and neglect. The agency, which will bring together in an integrated fashion a number of the services relating to child protection, is to be welcomed. I also welcome the Minister's statement that she will keep the matter under review in terms of some of the services that remain outside the agency. We all take her at her word on that.

I ask the Leader for a debate on child welfare and children's rights. This issue continues to feature and it will not be entirely answered by the setting up of the Child and Family Agency. I would like the right of a child to be parented and the right of a parent to parent to be raised with the Minister for Social Protection in respect of the payment of rent supplement. A parent without sole custody cannot obtain rent supplement in order to have housing adequate to enable an overnight visit by his or her child. Children are entitled to be parented by both parents, and that means they have the right to an overnight visit and spend time properly with both parents. I wish to raise this matter and other matters related to rent supplement with the Minister for Social Protection.