I propose to take Questions Nos. 119, 224 and 227 together.
At the publication of the Kilkenny Incest Report I announced that the Child Care Act, 1991, would be brought into operation in its entirety by the end of 1996. This remains my intention and I am determined that it will be achieved. Since making that announcement, I have approved a wide range of new child care and family support services, the full year cost of which is in the region of £20 million. The scale of these developments is unprecedented and demonstrates in the most concrete way possible my determination to ensure that the Child Care Act is not simply implemented on paper but is backed up by a sustained programme of investment that will enable the health boards to respond effectively to the needs of those children and families whom the legislation is designed to assist.
Among the important new measures that I have approved are the creation of over 370 new posts for the child care services around the country, including child psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and child care workers; the provision of additional hostel places for homeless children; the establishment of new family resource centres and community support projects to assist disadvantaged children; the expansion of the homemaker and home help services to help families in difficulty and the establishment of community mothers programmes in a number of health board areas; increased financial support to pre-school services in areas of social deprivation and the provision of additional places; the development of foster care and other alternative family placement services.