Lenihan first held political office in 1996 when he was asked to stand in the Dublin West by-election caused by the death of his father [REF].
In his first term as Minister for Children Lenihan announced a new news television programme targeting young people, dealt with matters relating to the internet and pedophilia, announced changes to Ireland's adoption laws and increased the numbers of gardaí employed in the Central Vetting Unit which assesses childcare workers [REF].