Dara Calleary
Question:69. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her top priorities for 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56685/12]
View answerTuesday, 18 December 2012
Questions (69)
Written answers
My Department was set up to drive the delivery of key commitments in relation to children and young people. The Department was established in June 2011 with a mandate to put in place a unified framework of policy, legislation and provision across Government in respect of children and young people.
My priorities for 2013 relate primarily to the ongoing implementation of the Programme for Government commitment relating to my Department. These priorities include:
- Establishment of the Child and Family Support Agency in early 2013, with legislation to be introduced in January.
- Introduction of legislation to place the Children First National Guidance on a statutory footing, building on the extensive work of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health & Children in considering the draft heads of legislation earlier this year,
- Maintaining the free Pre-School Year in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) and improving its quality as resources allow.
- Enacting legislation on adoption.
- Implementation of a new area based approach to child poverty as announced in Budget 2013.
- Construction of new children detention facilities at Oberstown, Lusk, Co. Dublin to ending the practice of sending children to St. Patrick’s Institution.
In addition, work is continuing on preparation of the Government’s Children and Young People’s Policy Framework as well as Irelands’ first-ever National Early Years Strategy which will be published in 2013.
2013 is a particularly important year as Ireland will assume the Presidency of the European Union and I will chair the EU Council of Youth Ministers. Ireland’s national priority themes for the Youth Council Presidency will aim to promote understanding of the contribution of quality youth work to young people’s development, well-being and social inclusion and maximise the potential of youth policy and youth services in attaining the goals of Europe 2020, in particular in addressing youth employment.
Subject to finalisation of matters in relation to the constitutional amendment of children a top priority for my Department for 2013 will be to implement the necessary changes to policy and legislation arising from the amendment, both within my own Department and, in consultation with my Cabinet colleagues, across all relevant Government Departments. Finally, the Deputy will be aware that the recent Budget made additional provision for key initiatives in relation to area based poverty and school age opportunities. My Department will be working on the detailed arrangements to support the role out of these initiatives next year.