Vol. 475 No. 1
143 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health the response, if any, the Government has made to a call from care workers exactly one year ago to establish a task force to ensure that the hundreds of teenagers leaving residential centres every year do not end up homeless and mar-ginalised. [4397/97]
I am not aware of a call to establish a task force as raised by the Deputy. However, the Irish Association of Care Workers launched a document on the development of after-care services at their annual conference in Limerick in February last year. The document called for the development of a structured policy and procedural framework in relation to the provision of after-care services and advocated an inter-agency approach with health boards taking a lead role in promoting strategies for inter-agency co-operation. Section 45 of the Child Care Act, 1991 which was brought into operation on 31 October 1995 enables health boards to provide certain after-care services and supports to young people leaving care.
