Frances Fitzgerald
Question:263 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Health and Children if the inspectorate of child care services will develop a role in ensuring the quality of services to people with disabilities. [24991/99]
Written Answers. - Child Care Services.
Frances Fitzgerald
Question:264 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will review the brief of the acting chief inspector of the child care inspectorate to include services to children and people with disabilities including physical and sensory disability, learning disability, mental illness and the elderly. [24992/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 263 and 264 together.
The social services inspectorate which has been established on an administrative basis will concentrate for an initial three year period on child care services. Its initial inspection programme which will commence in January 2000 will focus on children's residential centres. It is intended that the responsibilities of the social services inspectorate will be expanded to encompass the wider social services as soon as is practicable after that period.
The Children Bill, 1999, which was published in September and is on the Dáil Order Paper awaiting Second Stage, provides for an amendment of the Child Care Act 1991, that will broaden the definition of a "children's residential centre" to include "an institution for the care and maintenance of physically or mentally handicapped children". There will then be a statutory basis for inspecting such homes.