Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join Senators congratulating Ms Noirín O'Sullivan on her appointment as the first lady Garda Commissioner in the history of the force. I wish her hearty congratulations. Women are well represented now across the justice system.

I will speak later in the debate on drugs, in particular Sovaldi for hepatitis C patients. Like Senator Paschal Mooney, I ask the Minister for Health to come to the House to discuss children growing up in Ireland. Today, there is a conference in Croke Park on the survey on growing up in Ireland. The survey commenced in 2007 and surveyed children aged from nine months to nine years. Following that, it is from nine years onwards. The results of the survey should be debated in the House with a view to implementing at least some the recommendations that have resulted. As Wordsworth said, the child is father of the man - or mother of the woman as the case may be. We must ensure we get our facilities right, particularly child care for working parents and parents in the home, especially single parents. The growing up in Ireland survey shows the proportion of families that are lone-parent families who need assistance with child care and help as to how to raise children. It is about not only helping one-parent families, but all parents to do what is best for their children.

It is the first time the Growing Up in Ireland survey has linked with surveys done in Northern Ireland and the UK. One gets an all-Ireland picture and can compare results. I have asked the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly to table it on the agenda. Like the housing strategy, which was published today and which I welcome, I want to see if a strategy can be developed in this area. We will not be able to do everything in a day, a week, a month or a year, but there should be a ten-year strategy for the implementation of a process to ensure we have good facilities, as Senator Mooney said, for children in child care and the family home. The strategy should be all-encompassing. I ask the Minister to come before the House for such a debate.