Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 March 2013
63. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform with reference to the Fiscal Case for Working with Troubled Families and also Listening to Troubled Families that were published by the British Government last month, if his Department will publish comparative statistical profiles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13541/13]
View answerThe Deputy refers to the report "Fiscal Case for Working with Troubled Families" published in February by the British Government’s Department for Communities and Local Government. There are five areas addressed by the report:
- Early Year Education
- Preventative work with young people (e.g. youth work, positive activities, Information, Advice and Guidance)
- Protecting children via family intervention and targeted child protection and families with complex needs
- Health - programmes on mental health, drug and substance misuse, early years food/milk, and teen pregnancy nurses and health visitors
- Parenting Orders and preventing teenage violence.
The report estimated the annual cost to the British Exchequer of reacting to needs emerging from the above expenditure areas and compared this to amounts placed into targeted interventions intended to improve outcomes in these areas. The methodologies used in estimating the costs arrived at would be of interest to research units in the CSO and Departments of Children & Youth Affairs, Social Protection, Health, Justice & Equality and I will bring the contents of this report to their attention. I would also inform Deputy McHugh that relevant information on targeted expenditure in the above-mentioned areas is available in the Annual Revised Estimates Volume each year:
Table
|
Topic |
Relevant Department |
Subhead |
|
Early Years Education |
Children & Youth Affairs Vote 40 |
B3 |
|
Preventative work with young people |
Children & Youth Affairs Vote 40 Assisting Youth Organisations |
B5 |
|
Protecting children via family intervention |
Children & Youth Affairs (Family Support Agency) Vote 40 |
A3 |
|
Health - programmes on mental health etc. |
Health – child & family services Vote 39 |
B15 (part) |
|
Parenting Orders and preventing teenage violence |
Justice & Equality Vote 24 (Irish Youth Justice Service) |
I |
