I commend Senator Billy Lawless for his maiden speech. I will defend the right of every person in the Chamber to speak, be it scripted or unscripted. Most right-minded Senators would agree with me.

I understand Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin's concerns for the longer term and agree with him on the area-based childhood, ABC, school programmes. Early intervention is important. The early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme, the second free preschool year and the special needs package that were put in place will help in that regard, but other initiatives are required. We all acknowledge that an immediate law enforcement response is necessary. It is not either/or.

Senator Frank Feighan mentioned Brexit, on which I have touched previously. I agree that there will be opportunities, but I remind the Senator that there is plenty of capacity in Fingal.

I raise a serious issue that has exercised many of my constituents and many others around the country, namely, the fact that Tusla has a guideline to the effect that there should not be 40 years or more between a prospective adoptive parent and the child he or she is adopting. This is out of date and from a different era. It is incensing, insulting and offensive to many.

I am sure there are people of my vintage in this room who have siblings whose mother was over 40 years - certainly I have - when they were born. I know that many women are leaving childbirth to later for one reason or another. This morning I spoke to the Master of the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street and was informed that there had been an increase from 3% to 7% of births in the hospital to women over 40 years of age. What are we saying? As Senator Keith Swanick will know, GPs can now work until they are 72 years of age in General Medical Services, GMS. Why have this guideline in place? It is antiquated and out of date. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to discuss the matter. I am sure she will have heard about it this morning and will take the opportunity to get Tusla to review the guideline. Perhaps we might have a more satisfactory situation than we have. Most people now live a different life and have much better longevity associated with living in this country. Therefore, it seems utterly unreasonable to have such a guideline in place. Many people who are parents of children who are more than 40 years younger than them find the guideline offensive.