Rose Conway Walsh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

A number of weeks ago I asked the Leader to invite the line Minister to the House to discuss foetal anticonvulsant syndrome and the prescribing of valproate. I reiterate that request today. We need to bring this issue to a conclusion. We need to know what measures she is putting in place to address what has happened to these families and children as a result of the prescribing of valproate.

On the Tusla report, I support the call for the Minister, Deputy Zappone, to come to the House to discuss it. It is obvious that children are not being protected in the way that they need to be protected, that Tusla is not fit for purpose and that this is leaving children in danger. Despite the recruitment of 250 new staff, owing to the high number of staff leaving the agency, for which I do not blame them, the net gain is only 18. Given the impossible caseloads and inherent risks associated with the job, if I was a social worker I would not continue working there.

In May, we learned that more than 4,000 children referred to Tusla were waiting to be allocated a social worker. We talk about children in this House all the time. In this instance, we are talking about children in this State who are being left at risk. I ask that the Minister come to the House for a debate on the report and to tell us what plans she has in place to address this issues highlighted therein and, also, given this report took almost one year to complete, what plans were put in place to address issues arising in the interim.A year in the life of a vulnerable child is a year too much.