Written Answers. - Statutory Co-Ordination.
Trevor Sargent
Question:
53
Mr. Sargent
asked the
Minister for Finance,
in view of the fact that six Government Departments are charged with responsibility for young people, his views on whether there is a need to put in place statutory co-ordination to ensure that the needs of young people do not fall between Government Departments; if so, the plans, if any, which exist to meet this need; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[5299/95]
Many areas of Government activity — such as youth affairs — are, for sound organisational reasons, divided between several Departments. The Government is conscious of the difficulties which can, occasionally, be created by such divisions of responsibility; and is determined to ensure that the arrangements do not result in any blurring of overall objectives, or lack of cohesiveness between the Departments involved.
While I have no wish to under-play the necessity for the optimum level of co-ordination between such services where appropriate, it is reasonable to observe that, when we speak about "young people", we are referring to a group who are as diverse in their backgrounds, interests, lifestyles, personal difficulties, and so on, as any other very large segment of society. For this reason, it is necessary that services for young people be provided by different Departments.
There is, of course, room for improvement; and to the extent that enhanced co-ordination in the area of services for young people is indicated, a number of measures have been, or are being, taken.
A Joint Committee of the Dáil and the Seanad on the Family has been established. Among the functions of this committee is to examine issues relating to the protection and enhancement of the interests of children and measures which can be taken to support them, especially with regard to child care, education and juvenile justice. The committee is required to report on these issues to both Houses of the Oireachtas and to present its final report within two years.
The Government appointed Deputy Austin Currie as Minister of State with responsibility for co-ordination of public policy with regard to children. He has been assigned to three Departments: the Department of Health (with special responsibility for all aspects relating to child care and children's policy, particularly the implementation of the Child Care Act, 1991), the Department of Education (with special responsibility for special education) and the Department of Justice (with responsibility for legislative changes in the area of juvenile justice). Minister Currie actively co-ordinates the approach of the Departments of Health, Justice and Education in regard to children through an inter-departmental committee which he chairs and which meets on a weekly basis.
Phase 2 of the Strategic Management Initiative (or SMI) for the public service, which is currently under way, involves, as one of its critical elements, a more co-ordinated action between areas offering cognate services or sharing common policy objectives. The SMI will strengthen considerably, and lend a sharper focus to, the regular contact which already takes place between those Departments which are charged with responsibility for various policies affecting young people.
Finally, I do not feel that any useful purpose would be served by putting in place a statutory system of co-ordination between Departments. Such an approach could prove to be counter-productive by creating its own rigidities when flexibility and adaptability are the critical requirements.
