Jillian van Turnhout (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and her officials for their engagement and taking on board my comments in the Seanad. I thank the Minister for raising the threshold in respect of children. Subsequent amendments take this on board so I thank her expressly in that regard also. She has tried to address some of my concerns. Obviously, the world is not ideal and perfect but the Minister has certainly strengthened children's rights within this Bill.

There are matters outside the remit of this Bill that were in the Government working group report on the protection process. These include the proposal to increase the weekly payment for children. There has been no change in 16 years. While it is outside the scope of the legislation, it is a matter that I believe is wrong leading up to Christmas. The remit of the Ombudsman for Children should be extended. As the Minister knows, Ireland is to be before the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on 14 January. This will be a highlight issue for that committee if Ireland has not moved on it. I really hope we will be in a position, before Christmas or, at the very latest, in early January, to welcome announcements from the Government. The current position is unacceptable but I thank the Minister for what she has done in this regard.