Victor Boyhan (Independent)

We have loads of time. This goes back to the issue raised by Senator Ruane. The Minister of State said it does not matter if someone is on the streets or wherever else. That is not to disparage the Minister of State; I do not suggest she was disparaging in her remarks, but it does matter. There is hardly a day I walk around Dublin without meeting 16- and 17-year-olds who are homeless and suffer from problems with addiction and mental health having fallen out of care, including State care. They are vulnerable. I know what the Minister of State is saying about 16- and 17-year-olds. Everybody can be vulnerable at some point in their life, but these people are exceptionally vulnerable and it matters that they are on our streets. I would not like it to go out here that the Minister of State or anybody else here thought it did not matter, because I know she thinks it matters, as do I.

They are exceptionally vulnerable. Unfortunately, many have already been in care and have no confidence in a supposed advocacy service. Many people in working in care do not want them there. This is the reality. They are not wanted in care. They may have addiction problems. They have low self-esteem. They may have been living on the streets from the age of 14 or 15. That is the reality of Dublin and other parts of our country. I have met them. I have been in night shelters and have walked the streets with key community workers who deal with this cohort. I have also been involved in the Prison Service, juvenile detention centres, etc. I know people who worked in Oberstown who could not cope and had to leave.

There are major challenges. I have spoken to people who have told me they have concerns. The Minister of State is correct. A lot of people would see this as a positive step. I believe in empowering many of our citizens, regardless of what age they are and within reason of their capacity, to advocate for themselves.The reality is that, as the Minister of State knows better than most, these are exceptionally vulnerable people. The Minister of State also said that the Bill will take care of them. The Bill will not take care of them, nor did the previous Bill. There are many Acts on the Statute Book that are sitting gathering dust on the shelves and have not protected people. We will have a Bill with a load of aspirations in it.

When I get moving later in this Bill, I will tell the Minister of State about three amendments that were ruled out. I will talk about them later rather than raise them now because I want to stay focused. Talk about the Minister of State being disappointed - I and others will be disappointed. Let us deal with what we are dealing with now, however.

The Minister of State thinks and has taken advice that this is important. That is why she is bringing it to us to consider and accept or reject. That is our prerogative. I wish to tease this out. I want the Minister of State to share with the House the advice or concerns she received. Is she telling me that no one expressed concern about vulnerable groups of people? I will have to go back to the people, who may be listening in tonight, who spoke to me about this today. They expressed concern in relation to this cohort of 16- and 17-year-olds. Who is their advocate with their best interests? They are exceptionally vulnerable. That is the point I am making. I do not want us to sign up to something only to be told later that we agreed to something under amendment No. 4. That is my concern. If the Minister of State tells me there are no concerns, I will sit down today and check it in the morning. I will go back to these people and ask them to provide me with the information. Although they shared information with me already, I wish to be sure to be sure that I do not quote people out of context. What is the Minister of State’s knowledge about the concerns regarding this cohort of people aged 16 and 17? It is all very well empowering people when they are of sound mind, coherent, well, know what is happening and can see every side of it. That is my only concern and I hope the Minister of State appreciates that.