Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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Question 334: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the recent national consultation process with children and young persons for the national children's strategy 2012 to 2017 has been carried out without parental consent; and the way parental consent was circumvented in this case. [13558/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The consultation with children and young people for the new National Children's Strategy was carried out in April 2011. The consultation was undertaken in a systematic way in order to ensure that as many children as possible could take part. The purpose of the consultation is to provide a mechanism through which children and young people can give their opinion on what it is like to be a child and young person in Ireland today; this asserts their right to have a voice in matters that affect them. The process and purpose are very clearly outlined in all materials as a consultation and not as research. Both the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and the team contracted from Trinity College to conduct and analyse this consultation are satisfied that all appropriate procedures were followed throughout the consultation process.