Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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243. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the Bills relevant to her Department she will reinitiate from the previous Dáil Éireann; the Bills she will introduce in the coming sessions; when she will introduce each Bill; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15208/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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My Department willnotbe resubmitting any legislation from the previous Dáil as there was no legislation relevant to my Department that had not been enacted before that Dáil was dissolved.

The Adoption (Amendment) Bill is currently before the Dáil. It has passed Second Stage, and Committee Stage is awaited. It is anticipated that the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill will be introduced to the Houses during the next Dáil session with a view to enactment during that session.

The Programme for Government contains a commitment to increase the mandatory school leaving age to 17. The Education (Welfare) Act 2000, which is the relevant legislation in relation to this commitment, comes under the remit of my Department. I will work closely with the Minister for Education and Skills in the development of the legislative proposals and in the context of Government commitments for a new School Completion Strategy and an Action Plan for Educational Inclusion. The proposals for the legislation will be brought forward promptly having regard to requirements of the deliberative process and the priorities in the Government programme to secure improved educational outcomes for vulnerable children.