Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Of course, I take the issues raised on board and will report back to the Minister. I agree with the Senator on child services. As far as I am concerned, a delay of three months is unacceptable. The Senator mentioned delays of up to ten weeks. He also queried the all-in timeframe, which is unacceptable. We need to deal with it. The point made in the answer I gave on behalf of the Minister is that approximately 80% of applications are processed within a reasonable timeframe, but in the 20% of cases about which the Senator speaking we must ensure we make the process more efficient. We must act on this issue. The Senator mentioned commercial activities, sensitivities and the viability of operations. Of course, we must take these issues on board. I will relay all of the Senator's serious concerns back to the Minister to see whether we can make the process more efficient and progressive to help those who urgently need to get on with their jobs and employ new staff.