Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and wish to acknowledge from the outset that she has a real commitment to this area. She has been a very reforming Minister and will hopefully continue to be so in the future. She is very much avant-garde in trying to modernise legislation, be it domestic violence or family law or whatever, to make a real difference in people's lives and effect real change to ultimately ameliorate hardship and distress to the greatest possible degree.

The Family Courts Bill and report the Minister has brought from the Dáil is completely reforming. As she has said in her introductory and concluding remarks, it will first make the courts much more efficient in terms of timing and that is so important because people and children, who are often in the middle of it, are in distressing situations. It is important it is speedy but at the same time user friendly and not intimidating. I know mediation is an option as well and I welcome the fact there will be extra judges and that Tusla will decide the level of the courts. It is very important that the courts are sensitive and caring places that are about the holistic situation and recognise people are at a very vulnerable and difficult time in their lives.

As a parent and former teacher, I am so conscious that we can miss the children in the middle of all this. The Minister and I are aware of one or two cases in our areas where there is great distress and angst around the welfare of the children. Children are often the vulnerable pawns in an emotional battle and a turbulent tug-of-war so it is so important we have responsive courts where everyone can be comfortable, people can have ease of access and there are no barriers in terms of formalities that would be difficult for them. In addition, where possible, mediation would also be applied. Hopefully, Tusla could even resolve some of these issues before they ever get to the courts. We need a well-resourced and well-staffed Tusla. We also need, as the Minister is providing for, the extra judges in the courts.

I welcome the Minister's report from the Dáil and like my good friend and colleague Senator Horkan, I am completely in support of this. We would want to be very strange not to welcome something that is progressive and life-altering for the better.