The Bill before us makes a number of important changes agus is maith an rud go bhfuil sé sin ag tarlú. Táimid ag caint sa Bhille seo ar pháistí atá i ndeacracht, go leor acu páistí atá gan dídean, agus an dóigh atá Tusla ag caitheamh leo. Mar atá ráite ag mo chomhghleacaí, an Teachta Kerrane, tá píosaí den reachtaíocht seo a chaithfí moill a chur orthu, go háirithe mír 21 mar a luaigh sí, ach tá rudaí eile fosta. Rinne an coiste scrúdú air seo agus rinne siad moltaí nach bhfuil le feiceáil sa Bhille. I welcome the Bill. It makes a series of important changes, including the guiding principles for Tusla. My colleague, Deputy Kerrane, outlined in the brief time available to her a number of issues that need to be addressed in the Bill. Our party will engage extensively on this as the Bill passes through the different Stages. This Bill deals with children who are very vulnerable and who need the support of the State and the apparatus of the State. I raise the issue of other vulnerable children in my county and elsewhere who also depend on support from the State through childcare. I have raised this numerous times and it would be wrong for me not to raise it again when we are talking about legislation to support and protect vulnerable children. Vulnerable children are asked to go into childcare settings in my county with defective blocks. In some cases, they have been ordered to stop attending the facilities because it is dangerous to the children, yet there is still nothing from the Minister's Department - absolutely zero, zilch - on what will happen to those community childcare facilities. I am talking about buildings in my county - three in particular that are public. There are others that may not have gone public yet. Those three house over 300 children. The buildings they are asked to attend every single day are crumbling. Those children know the cracks in the walls mean the buildings are crumbling. Does the Minister know what that does to the psychology of a child? We have talked to parents. The children are coming home worried the building could fall in. This is wrong. Different groups have invited the Minister to meet with them. As of yet, I do not understand there has been a positive result from that. I appeal to her again to meet with the groups and engage with this very serious issue. We need a process within the Department to see these buildings demolished and rebuilt so every child, regardless of their circumstances, can be in a place that is safe and sound and can have the support of the early educators that they deserve.

Sentiment score: 0.03