asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of the proposed national council for children; the likely date of its establishment; and the estimated annual cost of running it.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - National Council for Children.
16.
I am at present considering the recommendations of the Task Force on child care services regarding the establishment of a national council for children but am not yet in a position to provide the details sought by the Deputy. I hope to be in a position to make an announcement shortly.
Could the Minister be more specific?
Before I left office I was very close to setting up a national council for children. We had set up a National Council for the Aged at that stage and we were undertaking a review of the National Social Service Council, both of which I had completed. We were then pursuing the setting up of a national council for children so I do not think the Deputy need have any concern about my commitment to pursuing that urgently, certainly early in this term.
Could I ask the Minister what functions he envisages the national council for children will have?
Broadly speaking, at this stage I visualise the council having functions such as making recommendations on the development of the child care system, concerning themselves with areas of weakness which may exist here, making recommendations for remedying these weaknesses, fostering and encouraging co-operation between the various bodies concerned, promoting research work in child care, collecting and disseminating knowledge, creating public awareness of developments in child care services and various other functions such as these.
Would the Minister indicate whether he intends to establish the council at the same time as he is publishing the children's Bill or will it be in advance of that? Would the Minister not agree that the existence of the council at the time of finalising legislation might be of some value?
I anticipate that the council will be established before the Bill is finalised and I hope the Bill will be introduced later in this session. That would give the council an opportunity to make comments before the Bill is finalised.
I submitted a Private Notice Question today and my question was disallowed. Could I have an explanation?
You cannot question the ruling, if you come to my office I will explain it.
May I raise it on the Adjournment?
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
I understand you have disallowed a Private Notice Question by me concerning the crash of the Viscount 803 aircraft near Tusker Rock, County Wexford, on 24 March 1968 and the implications of that with the sinking of the trawler recently by the British submarine——
We cannot discuss that now. You will have to discuss it with me in my office.
Would you not accept that it is quite urgent to establish whether the Irish seas are being used for British military manoeuvres at present or for propaganda purposes?
I am sorry, Deputy, you cannot raise that matter now.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the subject matter of Question No. 127.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the question of redundancies at the Quigley Magnesite factory, Dungarvan, County Waterford.
(Limerick East): Could I have written replies to Question Nos. 503 and 504?
In reply to my request for a Private Notice Question it was said it did not satisfy the criterion of urgency. The situation is—
I am sorry, you cannot discuss that now. I shall be glad to do so in my office.
I wish to raise on the Adjournment the matter of provisional agreement on farm prices at EEC level for this year.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
Would you not consider it urgent to establish whether the Irish seas are being used by British military aircraft?
You cannot raise that matter now.
Could I have written answers to the questions in my name on the Order Paper?