Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 96: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will introduce legislation that will allow the Ombudsman for Children the power to intervene as an [i]amicus curiae[/i] in relevant legal proceedings. [23960/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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There are currently no plans to introduce legislation to allow the Ombudsman for Children the power to intervene as an amicus curiae in relevant legal proceedings. There is already in place a system whereby a "guardian ad litem" can be a voice for the child in the court. The functions of the Ombudsman for Children are to promote the rights of children and to investigate complaints into the actions of specific bodies. These functions complement those of other people and offices.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 97: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her plans to undertake a children's rights audit of laws here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23961/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 2007 was published in February 2007 and contained the Government's proposal to amend the Constitution in relation to children. In keeping with the commitment in the Programme for Government to establish an all-party Oireachtas Committee to examine the proposed constitutional amendment, a Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children was established in November, 2007 to consider and deepen consensus on the text of the Bill. The Committee is scheduled to complete its deliberations by 16 October 2009. There are currently no plans to undertake a children's rights audit of legislation as suggested by the Deputy. Any future decisions on matters relating to children's rights will be taken in the context of the outcome of the deliberations of the Joint Committee.