Child and Family Agency Establishment

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 February 2013

Tuesday, 12 February 2013

Questions (611)

Ciara Conway

Question:

611. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide details on the structure and model for the new Child and Family Support Agency; if she will confirm whether the CAFCASS in the UK has been used as a model; the extent to which this has been the case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6657/13]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) is a UK non-governmental organisation which has a very specific remit in representing the best interests of children in family court proceedings in England. In an Irish context, the Guardian ad Litem (GAL) service is the equivalent of CAFCASS. The future governance and organisational arrangements relating to the GAL service are currently the subject of review.

The Government has given approval to the drafting of a Bill to establish the Child and Family Support Agency. Work on the preparation of the legislation is proceeding as a priority and the intention is that the Agency will be established as soon as possible. The Government's consideration of the functions of the new Child and Family Support Agency was informed, inter alia, by the content and recommendations of the Report of the Task Force on the Child and Family Support Agency which I published in July 2012. The Task Force considered that the Agency needs to be as broadly based as possible and should include those services that might, in the first instance, help prevent problems arising for a family, that would identify problems and provide supports at an early stage and that would assist children and families in managing serious problems requiring specialised interventions beyond their own resources. Therefore, in addition to child welfare and protection services the Task Force considered that the core services of the new Agency must include a broad based range of universal and targeted services with an emphasis on prevention, early intervention, family support and therapeutic care interventions.