Written answers

Wednesday, 18 January 2023

Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Legislative Measures

Photo of Thomas PringleThomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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948. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if all sections of all Acts passed in the past ten years have been commenced; the number of sections that are outstanding; the number of Acts that have review periods; if the reviews have taken place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63376/22]

Photo of Roderic O'GormanRoderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I have detailed below the Acts passed since the establishment of this Department in June 2020, set out the numbers of sections outstanding in these Acts and outlined where reviews have taken place:

- The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity)(Amendment) Act 2022 was signed into law on 17 December 2022, but has yet to be commenced, with all 104 sections outstanding. It is an amending Act therefore no reviews are required.

- The Child Care (Amendment) Act 2022 was signed into law on 19 July 2022 and has been partly commenced. Sections 1, 4, 6 and 13 of the Act have been commenced, with sections 2, 3, 5 and 7-12 yet to be commenced. This Act does not include a review period.

- The Institutional Burials Act 2022 was signed into law on 15 July 2022 and has fully commenced. The legislation provides for a review of the implementation of the Act concerning the operation of the Office of the Director to be established under the legislation, which is due following the submission of a final report of a Director. No review has had to be carried out to date.

- The Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 was signed into law on 30 June 2022 and is fully commenced. It does have a review period, however this does not fall due until 2 years after coming into operation.

- The Child and Family Agency Amendment Act 2021 was signed into law on 24 November 2021 and commenced in full on 15 December 2021. This Act does not include a review period.

- While the Childcare Support Act in 2018 was signed into law and commenced prior to the establishment of this Department, a review of the scheme was completed in 2021. Section 26 of the Childcare Support Act 2018 requires that the Minister initiate a review of the National Childcare Scheme 12 months after the first payment to a childcare provider. As such, I initiated this review in December 2020. That review was completed by an independent consultant  (Frontier Economics) and laid before the houses of the Oireachtas in Q4 2021.

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