I welcome the opportunity to speak on this legislation. I want to be very clear from the outset that this is an incredibly important and necessary Bill, and one I am proud to support. At its core, this Bill is about recognising that the world of child welfare and protection has changed significantly since the original Child Care Act was introduced in 1991. The challenges facing children and families today are different. Services are more complex and the need for agencies to work together effectively has never been greater. This legislation acknowledges that reality and it responds to it. One of the strongest aspects of this Bill is the introduction of a statutory duty for agencies to co-operate with each other when it comes to supporting children and families. That may sound like common sense, and it is, but putting it into law is hugely significant. Too often in the past, families have felt like they were being passed from one service to another, repeating their story again and again. This Bill moves us towards a model where services are expected and not just encouraged, to work together in the best interests of the child. This is exactly where the focus should always be. The strengthening of interagency structures, including the establishment of a formal implementation and interagency committee, is another very positive step. It creates a space where Departments and State agencies can co-ordinate responses, identify gaps and improve how services are delivered in practice. For families dealing with crises, delay and fragmentation can have lifelong consequences. Better co-ordination means earlier intervention, better outcomes and, ultimately, safer childhoods. I also strongly welcome the provisions that support stability for children in care, particularly the changes allowing foster carers to apply for enhanced parental rights after three years instead of five years. Anyone who has spent time speaking to foster carers knows the level of commitment and care they provide. Where there is a stable, loving, long-term placement, we should be supporting that stability and not putting unnecessary administrative barriers in the way of it. The Bill also strengthens review processes around care arrangements and improves oversight mechanisms, including strengthening the framework around serious incident and child death reviews. These are sensitive and difficult areas but they are absolutely essential if we are serious about learning from past failures and continuously improving our system. I also acknowledge the work being done by the Department and the Minister, Deputy Foley, and the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, in progressing this legislation and committing to further strengthening measures, particularly around the national review panel. We also cannot discuss child protection legislation without recognising the front-line role played every day by Tusla staff, foster carers, social workers and support workers across the country. These are people doing difficult work in emotionally demanding situations and legislation like this gives them stronger tools and clearer structures to do that work effectively. What I also like about this Bill is that it reflects a modern understanding of children’s rights. It places guiding principles into legislation that align with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and ensures decision-making across the system is grounded in the best interests of the child. That is exactly where our system needs to be. We must also, however, be honest. Legislation alone is not enough. Implementation matters. Resourcing matters. Workforce capacity matters. We must ensure that as we strengthen the legal framework, we continue to invest in the people and services that make it real on the ground because, ultimately, child protection is not just a responsibility of one agency or Department but a whole-of-State responsibility, a community responsibility and a societal responsibility. This Bill is not about headlines. It is about building stronger systems quietly and steadily, systems that protect vulnerable children, support families and give professionals the tools they need to intervene early and effectively. For those reasons, I believe this Bill is very positive, necessary and a proper step forward and I am very happy to support it.

Sentiment score: 0.42