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.

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.