Susan O'Keeffe (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for being with us and for introducing this legislation. It is always good when there is cross-party support. The Bill is clearly a step in the right direction. As others have said, the State's record regarding vulnerable children has not always been good. In such circumstances, this legislation is welcome.

I commend colleagues on the health committee on the work they did prior to the legislation being brought before the House. In a similar vein, when she was before the House yesterday, the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Heather Humphreys, commended the Joint Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht on the pre-legislative scrutiny it gave to National Cultural Institutions (National Concert Hall) Bill 2015. It is good to see committees working hard before legislation is formally introduced, bringing in experts to discuss some of the detail and giving feedback to Ministers and their officials, all of which makes the system more efficient.

I share with my colleagues, particularly Senator Moloney, the obvious concern about how this will be funded. The idea of offering proper support systems for vulnerable young people is, of course, welcome and funding will be the crux of the matter. Will the plans drawn up for these young people include information on the means by which they will be funded and delivered? We can write plans but it is how we deliver them that matters.

I share with my colleagues, particularly Senator Moloney, the obvious concern of how this will be funded. The idea of offering proper support systems for young people who are themselves very vulnerable is, of course, welcome, and the crux of the matter will be in the funding. Will those plans that are drawn up for these young people identify the means and the manner of the delivery of those plans? We can write plans, but it is how we deliver them that really matters. I understand that is something the Minister particularlyI understand that the Minister wants to see this happen, but I do not know how far the plans will go in that regard.

Are structures being put in place to offer the correct training and support to Tusla and the people on the ground who draw up aftercare plans? Under the Bill, young people over the age of 18 years can request aftercare plans. Is there a way of ensuring that they are aware of this right? There could be an information gap, with a young person never asking because he or she is unaware that it is an option. That would be a shame, given the fact that the right has been extended to them.

That we are moving from a discretionary situation to a statutory one is welcome. I share Senator van Turnhout's concern about out-of-hours care. While that does not fall within the specific remit of this legislation, it remains an issue.

I join colleagues in thanking those who offer foster care to the many young people in question. Given the latter's vulnerabilities, there is always an issue when they leave any kind of care, but foster care has proven to be a very good way of looking after those whose own families are dysfunctional or difficult. I do not know whether foster carers can provide their knowledge and observations on the question of extending aftercare, as I was not involved in the pre-legislative stage. How might their input into the Bill or its activation upon enactment be taken?

The compulsory inspection of preschools is to be welcomed. Senator van Turnhout and I share the view that many, if not all, preschools want to do the best and be places where young children can be cared for in a good and safe environment. Will there be an increase in the number of inspectors made available to do this work? Someone might inspect once and disappear for three years. The people running preschools would press for more inspections than once every three years or so.