Written Answers. - Official Engagements.
Austin Currie
Question:
214
Mr. Currie
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
if he will provide further information on the organisations and individuals met by the Minister of State on his visit to New Zealand in September 1998 to study the juvenile justice system; the time spent in New Zealand; the itinerary; the officials who accompanied him; their job designations; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[12632/99]
The primary purpose of my visit to New Zealand was to attend the 12th Congress of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect – ISPCAN – which was held in Auckland from 6 to 9 September. This congress is held every two years and the 1996 congress was held in Dublin.
While in New Zealand, I availed of the opportunity to meet a wide range of individuals and organisations to study the New Zealand systems of child care and juvenile justice which are recognised to be of a very high standard. During the course of my visit, I was able to develop on many of the contacts made initially by Deputy Currie when he visited the country as Minister of State in 1997.
The itinerary for my visit was as follows: Wednesday, 2 September – Wellington, 9 a.m. meeting with Children, Young Persons and their Families Service (CYPFS) Co-ordinator for overview of service; 10 a.m. meeting with lawyers at youth court; 11.30 a.m. meeting with Youth Advocates; 1 p.m. working lunch with CYPFS Managers of Practice Policy and Standards; 2.30 p.m. briefing on Children, Young Persons and Families Act by CYPFS National Manager, Policy and Standards; 9.30 p.m. visit to Wellington Irish Centre. Thursday, 3 September – Wellington, 9 a.m. visit to Residential Centre, discussions with staff; 12.30 p.m. working lunch with Director General, Department of Social Welfare; 2 p.m. meeting with senior officials of the Department of Social Welfare to discuss supports for families, the impact of urban development and social exclusion on disadvantage, co-ordination mechanisms between Government Departments and other agencies and social work in schools; 3.30 p.m. meeting with Mr. Roger Sowry, Minister of Social Services, Work and Income. Friday, 4 September – Wellington, 9.45 a.m. visit to Urban Maori Community Social Service Centre; 11.30 a.m. discussion with CYPFS officials on the progress of a new campaign called Breaking the Cycle. Saturday, 5 September – travel to Auckland. Sunday, 6 September – Auckland, 5 p.m. attendance at formal opening of IPSCAN Congress; 8 p.m. visit to Auckland Irish Centre. Monday, 7 September to Wednesday, 9 September – Auckland. In addition to attendance at the ISPCAN Congress in Auckland, I had wide-ranging discussions with the police youth aid co-ordinator for New Zealand on the New Zealand juvenile justice system. The co-ordinator arranged an additional programme for myself and the official from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. This included a meeting with youth aid staff from the Auckland region to discuss, among other matters, family group conferences; a meeting with police to discuss the management of youth projects; a meeting with the district commander of police for South Auckland to learn about the development of policies to deal with youth offending in that area; attendance at the municipal headquarters in one area of Auckland to witness an inter-agency approach to dealing with young offenders and families at risk and attendance at a family group conference. There were also informal discussions with youth aid and youth education staff and others.
I also attended a number of functions with President McAleese who was on an official visit to New Zealand at the time.
In all, I spent 12 days in New Zealand, arriving on 1 September and departing on 12 September, and I was accompanied on my visit by a principal officer from the law reform division of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, an assistant principal officer from the child care policy unit of the Department of Health and Children and by my private secretary.
