Marie Moloney (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for coming to the House and compliment my colleague, Senator van Turnhout. It is clear that her expertise in the field of children's issues is second to none, and she has brought a lot of expertise to the Chamber in this regard. The amount of detailed work she has put in to these amendments is amazing. I am sure she must have spent the whole summer working on them. I congratulate her.

I am delighted to hear the Minister say he will be consulting with young transgender people. As Senator van Turnhout knows, I have worked with her on this issue for quite some time. I am delighted there is going to be consultation but I worry that it is going to be in 2016 and that if the Minister's lot, or the Minister of State, Deputy Kevin Humphreys, is not in government, it might be put on the back burner. I hope that whoever is in government in 2016 will make this a priority. It is a priority to those children involved and to their parents. I hope the Minister will see it through before the end of his term, if he can. If not, I hope he will ask the officials in the Department to make sure it is a priority going forward.

On the child pornography issue, Senator van Turnhout does not want it called that but at the moment that is what it is being called. She is right. It is a criminal scene, a crime that is being committed against children. I hope that the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, will be in a position to amend the legislation.