Written Answers. - Commission on the Family.
Proinsias De Rossa
Question:
21
Proinsias De Rossa
asked the
Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs
the progress made to date in implementing the report of the Commission on the Family; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[14582/99]
The final report of the Commission on the Family, Strengthening Families for Life, was published by the Government in July 1998. The report contains a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the issues affecting families in Ireland and wide-ranging recommendations across several policy areas.
The Government is committed to adopting a families first approach by putting the family at the centre of all its policies. In line with this pro-family approach as set out in the programme for Government, An Action Programme for the Millennium, the Government has broadened the remit of my Department to include responsibilities in the areas of family and community and established the family affairs unit in my Department. The unit has responsibilities, inter alia, in relation to the development of a number of family services and a specific function to pursue the findings in the commission's report following their consideration by the Government.
Government priorities for the development of family policy and services over the past two years have brought about significant progress in areas highlighted for action by the commission on the family.
This year significant resources, amounting to some £6.5 million, have been provided for the development of family services in my Department. This compares to £1.5 million in 1997. Major achievements in improved family services include a £2.16 million grant aid programme for marriage and child counselling services and the extension of the programme to include voluntary organisations providing marriage preparation programmes and those providing bereavement counselling and support services. A record number of some 300 groups providing these services have applied for grant funding this year. I expect to be in a position to announce details of the grant allocations within the coming weeks; the framework for the nationwide family mediation service as promised in An Action Programme for the Millennium is now in place. The service is available from regional centres in Cork, Tralee, Wexford, Athlone, Dundalk and Galway in addition to those in Dublin and Limerick. Services for the north-west and for the western area of Dublin are to come on-stream before the end of the year; by the end of this year some 50 centres will be funded under the family and community services resource centre programme, under which ten centres were being funded at the beginning of 1998.
A families research programme has been introduced to address the lack of research into the issues and challenges facing families in Ireland today and to help shape the development of family policy and services in the future. More than 30 research proposals seeking funding under the programme have been received and these are currently being evaluated.
A study to explore what would be involved in undertaking a national longitudinal study of children in Ireland will shortly be initiated. This study will be jointly funded by my Department and the Department of Health and Children.
Family services projects providing high quality information about the range of supports available to families from State agencies and from the community and voluntary sector, with a particular emphasis on services available locally, are to commence in the autumn. The projects will be piloted by three local offices of my Department – Cork, Waterford and Finglas in Dublin. It is planned to introduce a parenting awareness programme later this year.
Significant improvements in support arrangements for pensioners and carers which were prioritised in the programme for Government, together with improvements in the family income supplement and in employment support measures for long-term unemployed people address areas highlighted by the commission in its report.
The budget improvements for pensioners, including the increases in payment to come into effect this week, will cost an estimated £126 million in a full year – a further £10 million has been provided to meet the cost of payment of arrears of late claims for old age and widows-widowers contributory pensions. Additional support measures for carers will cost £18 million in a full year. Child benefit increases will come into effect in September. The cost will be some £40.7 million in a full year.
My colleagues in Government are progressing a number of significant policy issues in their own areas of responsibility in line with the Government's pro-families approach. The Minister for Education and Science has a number of initiatives under way in relation to early education, investment at primary level in schools and in tackling educational disadvantage. Progress has been made in relation to the introduction of parental leave and investment in child care projects in disadvantaged communities. The report of the Partnership 2000 expert working group on child care has been published and the interdepartmental committee established by the Government to make recommendations in this regard is expected to complete its work over the summer.
In the Dáil Report of 30 September 1998 my colleagues have set out the initiatives taken within their own areas of responsibility in relation to the report of the commission on the family. In carrying out its responsibilities to co-ordinate family policy developments and to pursue the findings of the commission on the family, the family affairs unit is working closely with other Departments which are affected by the commission's recommendations.
I have taken steps to ensure that the commission's report is discussed widely around the country. Many Deputies will have received invitations to the family services information fora which are being held throughout the country. I, along with the Taoiseach, requested that these fora take place so that discussion could take place on the findings of the commission's report as well as family policy developments in general. The series has been organised by the family affairs unit and seven events have been held around the country to date. The fora provide voluntary and community groups with an opportunity to hear about the new family services and to discuss the issues and concerns which these groups encounter in their work in support of families.
