I call Deputy Mattie McGrath.

May I correct the record?

No.

It is just for the record.

Not now. I am sorry, Deputy. These are questions on promised legislation. I call Deputy McGrath.

Deputies cannot mislead people.

I refer to the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act. We are all rubbing our hands about the case of Grace - rightly so - and the Tuam mothers and babies. I put a question to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Zappone, about the abuse cases continuing to this day. As part of her reply, I was informed by Tusla that, according to the most recent figures disaggregated by the category of abuse for the years 2013 to 2014, a total of 19,407 cases of physical, sexual and emotional abuse as well as abuse relating to neglect were received in 2013. There was an increase in 2014 and 18,235 cases in 2015. This is going on under our noses as we sit here, rub our hands, give out about the past and talk about what we will do about the future. More than 18,000 cases of neglect and sexual, physical and emotional abuse were recorded in 2015. They are the latest figures, and we can be sure this happened in 2016 and is happening today. We need to wash a lot of dirty linen, see what is going on in Tusla, the HSE and under our noses, and not have inquiries 20 years from now, when we will all be gone, about what we let happen under our watch.

This is part of a structure that has been put in place with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the Minister and the Child and Family Agency. The Children First legislation will make reporting mandatory in such cases. This is an attempt to grapple with a situation that has been around for a very long time. That work continues, and the Government will not relent until the opportunity and facilities are in place to prevent this where humanly possible.

I understand that Deputy Martin wishes to clarify something.

A number of Deputies, including Deputy Gino Kenny, were at the meeting yesterday with the Minister, Deputy Harris. Much good work was done, but I wish to clarify that at no stage was any commitment given, to my understanding, that Deputy Kenny's Bill would be delivered in 12 weeks. The Minister referred to a compassionate access programme. He wanted it delivered in three weeks and-----

All right.

This is a very important point. It is very important that there be complete honesty and transparency about the meeting and that everyone be clear about the record of it. I do not want it to be said that I witnessed something I clearly did not witness. In fact, the opposite happened at the meeting.

No.

Everybody else present said clearly to Deputy Kenny that there was no chance of the actual legislation being completed within 12 weeks and that many people had difficulties with it.

The Deputy has clarified the point. We cannot get into a debate on the matter.