Written Answers Nos. 1-78
76. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress to date in implementing the lessons learned from the various child abuse inquiries; the findings of the recent examination of such recommendations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53275/13]
View answerA recently published report, ‘An examination of recommendations from inquiries into events in families and their interactions with State services, and their impact on policy and practice’ by Dr Helen Buckley & Dr Caroline O’Neill of the School of Social Work and Social Policy, at Trinity College Dublin, was commissioned by my Department. My Department commissioned this study in response to a recommendation from the Implementation Plan for the Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (or the Ryan Report as it is more commonly known).
The focus of the report is on five inquiries in particular; starting with the Kilkenny Incest Inquiry which was published in 1993. In commissioning the report, my Department sought to have an overview of the implementation of major recommendations and, in particular, what were the overall considerations that led to service improvements following such inquiries. As the purpose of inquiries is to find out what happened and how we can try to ensure that such events are not repeated, it is important that we reflect on which inquiries or types of inquiries led to the improvements in services we all seek.
The recommendations of the various inquiries over more than twenty years were addressed to a range of bodies and departments, some of which no longer exist or have been merged into other bodies. I am very pleased to see that many inquiry recommendations over this period have acted as a mechanism for positive change. The study provides important insight into how the recommendations of such inquiries can be framed to bring about the desired change and service improvement. The report identifies a need to avoid “recommendation fatigue” and for reports to provide impetus and support for positive change. I welcome the proposal that, in future, inquiries should minimise the number of prescriptive recommendations and focus instead on key learning points. I agree with the recommendation that reviewers should remain totally independent in their findings, but a collaborative approach to key recommendations is more likely to improve services and outcomes for children. I believe such an approach is likely to increase the impact and relevance of recommendations and facilitate wider policy and organisational developments to be considered for the purposes of successful implementation.
We have also, I believe, learned more about successful implementation of change. In general, it is the responsibility of each Government Department and the bodies reporting to them to take the appropriate action on foot of any recommendation relevant to its work. For example, where recommendations are proper to my Department, they form part of the process of policy development and inform the strategic and business planning processes. Recommendations must be incorporated into key corporate planning processes if they are to be owned by the organisations involved and continue to be prioritised.
There is also a role for oversight in relation to implementation where a range of bodies are involved. The process in respect of the Ryan Report Implementation Plan is a good example of such oversight. My officials are currently preparing a monitoring framework in respect of all significant child care reports. This involves reviewing current monitoring and reporting mechanisms, with a view to capturing all relevant recommendations thematically, and to ensuring there is appropriate and streamlined progress reporting. The purpose of doing so is to provide for the effective and sustained implementation of recommendations across Departments and agencies while reducing unnecessary reporting burdens. It is neither efficient nor effective to have separate reporting processes for related recommendations from a range of different reports and I believe a more integrated monitoring framework will strengthen accountability. It is intended that this monitoring framework will be put in place following the completion of the formal monitoring process for the Ryan Commission Implementation Plan. It will provide a basis for incorporating recommendations from any future inquiry into the planning and reporting process across relevant Departments and agencies.
