Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 July 2014
657. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which his Department remains in contact with child support services in the Health Service Executive with a view to determination of the best practice to be pursued in cases of children at risk who have been brought to the attention of the HSE or his Department or both; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28520/14]
View answerUnder the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, the Agency is required to support children’s development, welfare and protection by providing a range of services. The Act transferred the statutory function in relation to child welfare and protection of the Health Services Executive to the Agency. The Act also emphasises the need for Agency accountability. This is so that the public can be confident that the services provided by the Agency result in the best possible outcomes for the children concerned.
The Department's oversight function is exercised through a range of interactions with colleagues in the Agency. These interactions are often formal and structured at a number of levels but there is also a good level of informal contact between the Department and the Agency on a daily basis relating to services. The Agency is required to report regularly to the Department on how it is delivering against the Annual Business Plan which is developed by the Agency following the direction given in the annual Performance Statement that I, as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, provide to the Agency.
Among the more formal engagements are regular meetings with the CEO of the Agency along with our respective senior management teams. Officials from my Department also meet formally on a monthly and quarterly basis with their counterparts in the Agency to discuss improvement of the Agency's Business Plan and to seek in general to maintain and where possible improve the service provided by the Agency to children and families through the Agency's on-going Reform Programme.
The Department is not involved in the day to day running of services. However the Agency is proactive in providing information to me when policy issues arise. There are also occasions when information, not routinely reported, is provided to my Department following a specific request for same.
