Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)

As the Deputy is aware, there needs to be an amendment to that legislation. There is considerable engagement between the Department of children, the Department of Justice and my Department on it and there has been intensive work. It is on the priority list for the spring legislative programme. I expect that amending legislation to be published in June. My own target is that it will be enacted by December.

There is another option to commence a piece, but it is not the complete legislation and we have to set up the regulatory authority. I am quite happy to speak to the Deputy in detail about the sequence of the two elements together but the amending legislation is crucial and my target is for that to be published in June.

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