Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 February 2013
24. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress made by her Department in the preparation of a Children and Young Person Policy Framework; when she expects that the drafting work will conclude; when she intends publishing the framework; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7311/13]
View answerMy Department is developing a new strategy for children and young people. It will build on Our Children - Their Lives, Ireland’s first children’s strategy which was published in 2000 and it will cover the 5-year period from 2013 to 2017.
In keeping with my Department’s responsibilities for children and young people, the new Children and Young People’s Policy Framework is being developed in a holistic way which will comprehend the continuum of the life-course from infancy through to early and middle childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. It will be the overarching Framework under which policy and services for children and young people will be developed and implemented in the State.
The views of a wide range of interests including children themselves will shape the development of the Policy Framework and it will be informed by the following inputs:
- the results of a consultation in 2011, which focussed on children and young people, in which almost 67,000 people throughout the country participated, the analysis of which was published recently;
- a public consultation of the general public conducted during the Summer. Over 1,000 submissions were received as part of that consultation. An analyst contracted by my Department is in the process of analysing these submissions and this process is expected to be completed in April;
- the advice of the National Children’s Advisory Council which represents a range of statutory and non-statutory organisations working with children and young people. The Council will continue to advise my Department on the Framework until a draft is submitted to Government; and
- the views of the National Children’s Strategy Implementation Group which includes nominees of Government departments and State agencies which develop policies and deliver services for children and young people.
My Department is also in the course of meeting with other Government Departments to discuss aspects of the Framework which will impact particularly on their areas of policy responsibility. This process is expected to be completed by the end of next month and, on completion of the analysis of the public consultation, the Policy Framework is expected to be finalised and published in the middle of this year.
