Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 14 Nov 2000

Vol. 525 No. 5

Written Answers. - Child Care Services.

Nora Owen

Question:

264 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Health and Children the agencies with responsibility for children and which are either directly under the aegis of his Department or are funded in part or whole by his Department; and the number of staff in his Department who are working directly in the area of provision of services for children. [25546/00]

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Ms Hanafin)

The Department of Health and Children directly funds the following bodies in respect of services to children, other than acute hospital services: the Eastern Regional Health Authority, the Midland Health Board, the Mid-Western Health Board, the North Eastern Health Board, the North Western Health Board, the South Eastern Health Board, the Southern Health Board and the Western Health Board.

The Eastern Regional Health Authority funds the three area health boards within its region and the authority, together with the seven health boards, fund a wide range of service providers in their areas.

Staff in the child care area in the Department of Health and Children do not provide direct services. These services are provided either by, or on behalf of, the health boards, or, in the case of counties Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow, by the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the three area health boards. The role of the Department is a policy one.

The following is the current staffing in the child care area within the Department of Health and Children:–

Number of Staff in the Department of Health and Children in the child care area.

Grade of Staff	Number of Staff (WTEs)*
Principal Officers	2
Assistant Principal Officers	6.5
Project Co-ordinator	1
Administrative Officer	1
Higher Executive Officers	4
Executive Officers	2.5
Staff Officer	0.5
Clerical Officers	3.5
Total (all grades)	21

Whole Time Equivalents*

These staff are distributed between child care policy unit and child care legislation unit. In addition a principal officer heads the cross-departmental team which prepared the national children's strategy and there are three other staff from the Department of Health and Children on the team.

The child care divisions of the Department are headed by a director who also deals with services for people with disabilities, health insurance and international issues. Staff in the disability division deal with policy on services for both children and adults with disabilities.