Written Answers Nos. 353-369
353. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position in regard to his Department's guidelines for children's home schooling for two days a week, while they attend school for the other three days; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7914/15]
View answerThe statutory Education Welfare Service has specific responsibility for the Child and Family Agency’s general function to ensure that each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education.
Section 14 (2) of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 provides: ‘Where a parent chooses to educate, or to have educated, his or her child in a place other than a recognised school he or she shall, in accordance with this section, apply to the Child and Family Agency to have the child concerned registered in the register’. The Agency has a statutory obligation to maintain a register of all children in receipt of education in a place other than a recognised school. Section 14 further sets out the obligations of parents in this regard and the form of the application and information to be provided with the application for the child to be included in the register.
The Agency has advised that under Section 14(17) a child may not be on the register of a recognised school, while registered under Section 14 of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000.
If the Deputy has a particular situation that has been brought to his attention, the Agency has advised that it would be happy to arrange a briefing for him on its full responsibilities in such cases.
354. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the care plans that are being put in place by the relevant authorities for dealing with homeless families with children that are housed in emergency accommodation in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8173/15]
View answerPolicy responsibility for homelessness, insofar as it extends to my Department, relates to children under 18 and any child welfare and protection concerns that may arise in the context of the Child Care Act 1991. A child can only be received into the care of the Child and Family Agency where there are welfare or protection concerns and, as part of this process, care plans are devised. These care plans may, in certain instances, refer to additional supports required by the child’s family.
Homelessness as part of a family group is not, in of itself, a basis for seeking to receive a child into care. Furthermore, there is no statutory basis for the preparation of care plans for families with children entering emergency accommodation.
As the Deputy is aware, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government recently issued a Ministerial Direction to the four Dublin local authorities and to certain other housing authorities prioritising homeless households and other vulnerable groups (including young people leaving State care) for housing in their respective areas for a six-month period. This measure should reduce the number of homeless persons including families in emergency accommodation.
The December 2014 Action Plan to Address Homelessness includes a commitment for the Child and Family Agency and Dublin City Council to coordinate operations to ensure that services are fully responsive to the particular protection and welfare needs that might arise for families in emergency accommodation.
The Child and Family Agency has advised me that they have had meetings with Focus Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and Dublin City Council in relation to vulnerable families and issues facing care leavers. The Agency intends to create a multi-agency protocol to be clear about individual agency and multi-agency responsibilities with regard to homelessness and work on this will commence shortly.
In cases where there are welfare or protection concerns in relation to children in families presenting as homeless, the reporting of such concerns to the Child and Family Agency is governed by Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children [2011].
355. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he is satisfied with the current level of Government investment in child care; his views that this investment is one of the lowest in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7700/15]
View answerMy Department supports the provision of early childhood care and education by providing funding in the region of €260 million annually to provide for three child care support programmes that make child care services more affordable. This funding ensures that more than 100,000 children have access to quality child care each year. This high level of support, which is in addition to the support provided to all parents in the form of Child Benefit, has been maintained despite the difficult budgetary situation that prevailed in recent years.
I wish to point out to the Deputy that, while the annual spend on child care related programmes has been in the region of 0.2 per cent of GDP in recent years, this expenditure does not include expenditure under other programmes or by other Departments and therefore does not represent the full extent of State expenditure. Ireland spends over 0.4% of GDP relative to the OECD average of 0.7%.
It is clear that accessibility, affordability and high quality child care can play a critical role in achieving a number of Government priorities, including improving educational outcomes for children, reducing poverty and increasing parents' participation in the labour market. To ensure that all the benefits of child care investments are fully realised, future public investment in child care must be evidence-based and strategically coordinated. I am establishing an Inter-Departmental Group to look at the provision right across the 0 to 6 age group as well as to consider the after-school needs of older school-going children. It is crucial that we develop a coherent whole-of-Government approach to investment in child care services.
This new Group will include representatives of the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Department of Finance and the Department of the Taoiseach and will be led and supported by my Department. I have asked that the work of this Group be carried out within a relatively short time frame and I expect that the Group will be in a position to report to me in the Summer.
356. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if consideration will be given to re-instating the early childcare supplement funding levels of 2009 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7701/15]
View answerThe Early Childcare Supplement (ECS), which in 2008 represented an investment of €480 million, was discontinued by the previous Government with effect from the end of December 2009. Part of the resources made available to support the ECS was redirected to provide for the free preschool provision, introduced under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme.
The ECCE programme represents an annual investment of almost €175 million and provides free preschool care and education to approximately 68,000 children each year. This funding has been maintained despite the difficult budgetary position that has prevailed over the last four years. The introduction of a second preschool year would require considerable additional funding, broadly in line with the cost of the current one-year provision and this additional funding is not presently available due to the financial constraints under which the Government is operating.
I will be looking at the question of appropriate supports for child care in a wider context. It is crucial that we develop a coherent whole-of-Government approach to investment in child care services. To ensure that all the benefits of our full range of child care investments are fully realised, future public investment in child care must be evidence-based and strategically coordinated. I have established an Inter-departmental Group to look at the provision right across the 0 to 6 age group as well as to consider the after-school needs of older school-going children. I have asked the Group to report to me by the Summer.
357. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on the current cost of child care for families where both parents are working; his views on child care costs becoming tax deductible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7714/15]
View answerI am aware of the relatively high cost to parents of child care in this country and of the difficulties that this presents, particularly where both parents are in employment outside of the home. To help address the issue of child care costs, in the region of €260 million is provided annually by my Department to support a number of child care programmes. More than 100,000 children benefit from this investment each year. These programmes are in addition to the support provided to all parents in the form of Child Benefit.
The programmes include the free preschool year provided under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. In the region of 68,000 children benefit each year from the programme at a cost of €2,375 per child. The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme provides funding to community child care services to support disadvantaged or low income families. In the case of full day care, parents can have up to €95 per week deducted from the overall charge. In the region of 25,000 children each year benefit from the CCS programme. Further child care support is provided under a number of labour activation measures which support parents returning to the work force or availing of education or training opportunities. Increased capitation and subvention payments under the support programmes could reduce the cost to parents and I have indicated that if resources become available, I will review the scope for increasing the level of payments.
The question of tax allowances for working parents was considered prior to the introduction of the support programmes. A number of issues emerged at that time which did not favour the introduction of tax relief for child care. For example, the introduction of tax credits would not help to support quality improvements within the child care sector and would not help those families on low pay who may not have any tax liability. There is also concern that the application of tax credits could lead to increased prices and therefore have limited impact in terms of savings to parents.
I want to look at the question of appropriate supports for child care in a wider context. It is crucial that we develop a coherent whole-of-Government approach to investment in child care services. To ensure that all the benefits of our full range of child care investments are fully realised, future public investment in child care must be evidence-based and strategically coordinated. I have established an Inter-departmental Group to look at the provision right across the 0 to 6 age group as well as to consider the after-school needs of older school-going children. I have asked the Group to report to me by the Summer.
358. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the support that is available for young carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7815/15]
View answerThe National Carers Strategy is led by the Department of Health and many Departments including the Department of Children and Youth Affairs have a role to play in its implementation. In September 2014 officials from my Department and the Child and Family Agency met with the National Carers' Association to discuss the role of the Department and the Agency in relation to the National Carers' Strategy.
The Child and Family Agency Act 2013 brings together a range of existing services for children and families to one agency. As of 1st January 2014, the Child and Family Agency is responsible for the former Family Support Agency, the National Educational Welfare Board and also for the functions of Child and Family services previously provided by the HSE. The Agency's functions include maintaining and developing services in order to support and promote the development, welfare and protection of children and to support effective functioning of families. In so doing the Agency will promote enhanced interagency cooperation to ensure that services are coordinated on the principle of the best interest of all children and their families.
The Educational Welfare Service (EWS) of the Child and Family Agency is in the process of refining and implementing a new strategic approach to service delivery through an integrated model of service committed to the principle of “One Child, One Team, One Plan”. The EWS of the Child and Family Agency is developing national guidelines as a practical support for schools in the preparation of School Attendance Strategies as outlined in Section 22 of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000. The guidelines will assist schools to implement effective measures to support children at risk of poor attendance and participation, including those with caring responsibilities. It is anticipated that the guidelines will be completed before the beginning of the 2015/16 academic year.
In order to learn more about children that undertake caring roles, my Department requested the Central Statistics Office to help to identify the extent to which children have caring responsibilities. The Census of Population 2011 found that 6,449 children, or 5.6 per 1,000 children provided regular unpaid personal help for a friend or family member with a long-term illness, health problems or disability. Rates ranged from 4.3 per 1,000 in Co. Louth to 8.2 per 1000 in Co. Leitrim. Under the National Strategy for Research and Data on Children’s Lives (2011-2016) analysis of those figures in the 2011 Census will help to inform future policy as to how best to address the support needs of children and young people who undertake caring roles. This analysis will be published in 2015.
A National Youth Strategy is also being developed by my Department. It will be a universal strategy for all young people aged 10 to 24 years. It will have a particular focus on those who are most disadvantaged or at risk and who have the poorest outcomes and therefore in most need of support. The consultation process in the development of this strategy has included a number of major stakeholder consultation events and I am pleased that representatives of the Carers Association participated in these consultations.
359. Deputy Peter Mathews asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs regarding child care costs, his plans to provide any or extra financial relief to families, who pay extortionate amounts for their child care every month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7845/15]
View answerIn the region of €260 million is provided annually by my Department to support a number of child care programmes which assist parents in accessing quality and affordable child care. More than 100,000 children benefit from this investment each year. These programmes are in addition to the support provided to all parents in the form of Child Benefit.
Increased capitation and subvention payments under the child care support programmes could reduce the cost to parents, and support child care services to meet the overall costs of child care provision. I have indicated that if resources become available, I will review the scope for increasing the level of payments.
I will be looking at the question of appropriate supports for child care in a wider context. It is crucial that we develop a coherent whole-of-Government approach to investment in child care services. To ensure that all the benefits of our full range of child care investments are fully realised, future public investment in child care must be evidence-based and strategically coordinated. I have established an Inter-departmental Group to look at the provision right across the 0 to 6 age group as well as to consider the after-school needs of older school-going children. I have asked the Group to report to me by the Summer.
360. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the total funding, in each scheme, provided in 2014, under his Department's youth services grant scheme, special projects for youth scheme, the young people's facilities and services fund, local drugs task force projects, local youth club grant scheme and youth information centres; the bodies that benefited, and their geographic locations; the total capital funding in each case; the way the spread of funding is calculated, based on need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7860/15]
View answerMy Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. The funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 380,000 young people and involve approximately, 1,400 youth work staff in 477 projects and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country. In 2014, funding of €49.78m was provided to my Department for these schemes.
The funding allocated by my Department in respect of the schemes indicated in the Deputy's question is set out in the table, below.
|
Scheme |
2014 |
|
Youth Service Grant Scheme |
€9.949m |
|
Special Projects for Youth |
€14.4m |
|
Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund (Round 1 and 2) |
€18.397m |
|
Local Youth Club Grant Scheme |
€1.035m |
|
Youth Information Centres |
€1.234m |
|
Local Drug Task Force projects |
€1.151m |
In addition, in 2014 a capital allocation of €500,000 was made available to fund small capital projects in the youth services. Some 50 local youth projects received grants under the scheme.
Details of the youth organisations and youth projects throughout the country that received funding under each of the schemes are being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy.
My Department is developing a National Youth Strategy. The new strategy will be based on Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People. It will be a universal strategy for all young people aged 10 to 24 years. It will have a particular focus on those who are most disadvantaged or at risk and who have the poorest outcomes and therefore in most need of support.
A consultation on the new strategy is underway at present. It includes consultation on the priorities for the new strategy and the findings of the recently completed Value for Money and Policy Review of Youth Programmes that target disadvantaged young people. The review makes recommendations for the future operation of youth funding schemes and their development in the years ahead to ensure effective, evidence based value for money programmes designed to ensure the optimal outcomes for young people who are at risk of disadvantage and in need of additional support. It is my intention that the recommendations in the review will be progressed over 2015 and 2016 in the context of the new Youth Strategy.
The consultation on the new National Youth Strategy will run to the end of this month and I anticipate that the strategy will be completed promptly thereafter.
361. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the Ombudsman for Children will be empowered to investigate complaints by the 1,200 children who live in direct provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7903/15]
View answerI have no immediate plans to amend the Ombudsman for Children Act 2002 for the purposes outlined by the Deputy.
The direct provision system is under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality. The Department of Justice and Equality has primary responsibility in the area of asylum and immigration.
The Deputy may be aware that a report ‘Review of the operation of the Ombudsman for Children Act 2002’,was submitted by the former Ombudsman for Children, Ms Emily Logan to the then Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in March 2012. One of the recommendations contained in that report was that “… section 11(1) (e) should be amended to clarify that the exclusion regarding the administration of law in the area of asylum, immigration, naturalisation or citizenship relates solely to decisions taken by the relevant authorities in accordance with statutory procedures for determining whether a person is entitled to a particular status.” My Department engaged with the Department of Justice and Equality on this recommendation, among others. The then Minister for Justice and Equality considered that no legislative change was required and this position has been reaffirmed by that Department.
In a reply to a question by Deputy Brendan Griffin (Reference No. 31092/14 on 15th July 2014), the Minister for Justice and Equality addressed, among other issues, the question of the Ombudsman for Children being given jurisdiction in the direct provision system and for the Health Information Quality Authority (HIQA) to be allowed inspect direct provision hostels. In replying, the Minister made reference to provisions in both the Ombudsman for Children Act 2002 and Ombudsman Act 1980 which excludes either Ombudsman from investigating any action taken by or on behalf of a person in the administration of law relating to, inter alia, asylum. If I may quote from Minister Fitzgerald's response, she said "Whilst there are no plans to change those legislative provisions, the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) including RIA, has administrative arrangements in place with both Offices to assist and provide information on matters brought to its attention by them ".
The Department of Justice and Equality has established a working group to review a range of issues pertaining to asylum seekers and direct provision. The first meeting of the Working Group on the Protection Process was held on the 10th November 2014, chaired by Judge Bryan McMahon. The Working Group consists of children's rights advocates, organisations engaged with asylum groups and representatives from a range of relevant government departments, including a representative from my own Department. I look forward to learning of the findings and recommendations of the working group in the Spring of 2015.
362. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding provision of after care for young persons leaving residential child care and their legal rights to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7906/15]
View answerAftercare is a term used to describe the planning and support put in place to meet the needs of a young person who is leaving statutory care at 18 years of age, to assist him/her in making the transition to independent living. It is essential that all young people leaving care are provided with the type of transitional support that their individual situation requires. Aftercare is available to all those eligible irrespective of previous care placement, for example, foster care or residential care.
The Child Care Act 1991 provides that the core eligible age range for aftercare is from 18 years up to 21 years. This can be extended until the completion of a course of education and training in which a young person who has left care, or is leaving care, is engaged, up to the age of 23 years.
Section 45 of the Child Care Act 1991 provides that the Child and Family Agency may assist a child leaving its care if it is satisfied that the person has a “need for assistance”. The provisions have been interpreted and applied on the basis that young people who have had a care history with the Agency are entitled to an assessment of need, from which an aftercare plan may be prepared and an aftercare service may be offered (based on the assessed needs).
Current aftercare provision incorporates advice, guidance and practical (including accommodation and financial) support. Advocating on behalf of young people to support their development as fulfilled adults in their community and, when necessary, to link them to targeted adult services, are also crucial elements of an aftercare service.
Between 450 and 500 young people leave care annually upon turning 18. According to the Child and Family Agency, at the end of September, 2014 there were 1,698 young people aged 18 to 23 years (inclusive) in receipt of an aftercare service. Of those, 946 (56 %) were in full time education.
A significant number of these young people are supported financially to remain living with their foster carers, in addition to having access to an aftercare worker. The most vulnerable group of children are those leaving residential care or short term foster care placements. Children, who come into care late, in their mid to late teens, may not have developed the relationships with staff or aftercare workers that help them achieve good outcomes.
Young people who do not have family support from a foster carer or family base are assisted in finding accommodation in supported lodgings, sheltered housing or independent accommodation and encouraged and supported financially in furthering their training and education.
Furthermore, as the Deputy is aware, it has been decided to strengthen the legislative provisions regarding aftercare. This is in response to concerns that there was insufficient focus in this area and that such planning was not taking place on a properly structured and consistent basis. The approach adopted is to impose a statutory duty on the Child and Family Agency to prepare an aftercare plan for an eligible child or eligible young person. The aim is to create an explicit, as opposed to implicit, statement of the Agency’s duty to satisfy itself as to the child’s or young person’s need for assistance by preparing a plan that identifies those needs for aftercare supports.
It is anticipated that the Aftercare Bill will be published in the early part of 2015.
363. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding negotiations between the Adoption Authority of Ireland and the Russian authorities in respect of the bilateral agreement on inter-country adoptions; when the authority will finalise the wording of the agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7933/15]
View answerEfforts are ongoing in my Department in relation to a bilateral agreement on intercountry adoption between Ireland and the Russian Federation. Following a meeting with a delegation of Russian officials in October 2013 my Department prepared revised draft wording on a number of specific points, which was forwarded to the Russian Authorities in February 2014. In transmitting these revisions it was suggested that should these revisions be acceptable to the Russian Federation, it would be useful for both sides to meet again for further discussions. In April 2014 the Ministry of Education and Science advised the Irish Embassy in Moscow that all proposed adoption agreements were on hold while the Russian Government considered proposals in relation to how they deal with adoption agreements in general.
Further correspondence was received from the Russian authorities in October and December 2014. Consideration of these communications is currently taking place in my Department.
364. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the mother's date of birth would ordinarily have been recorded on her file when she was placing her child for adoption; and if, for this or other reasons, the Adoption Authority of Ireland or adoption agencies are likely to have a record of the date of birth of each woman who placed a baby for adoption here since the enactment of the Adoption Act 1952. [8130/15]
View answerThe Adoption Authority of Ireland has advised that adoption consent forms only require the age of the mother to be inserted on the form when she is under 18 years of age (or under 21 years of age on the earlier consent forms). The Authority also advised that information regarding the mother's age, held on other forms in relation to the child varies, with some holding details of the mother's date of birth, age, approximate age or no information in this regard.
365. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which his Department continues to address issues of bullying among teenagers or young adults outside of the classroom; if a specific provision exists in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8282/15]
View answerBetter Outcomes, Brighter Futures: the National Policy Framework for Children has as one of it’s outcomes that children are active and healthy, and another that children are safe and protected from harm.
Bullying Data from Wave One Data Collection from the Child Cohort in Growing Up in Ireland (at age nine) revealed:
A total of 40% of nine-year-olds reported being victims of bullying in the past year, and boys and girls experienced similar rates of victimisation.
Consultation with Young People
A national consultation was conducted with children and young people during 2011 and the report, Life as a Child and Young Person in Ireland: Report of a National Consultation, was published in 2012. Bullying and peer pressure emerged in the top eight 'not good' things for both children (aged 7-12) and young people (aged 12-18).
The Action Plan on Bullying
The Action Plan On Bullying: Report of the Anti-Bullying Working Group to the Minister for Education and Skills was published in January 2013 clearly recognised the necessity to tackle this issue in a holistic way which saw schools as pivotal but placed the issue within a much wider social context. One of the recommendations was that a single national anti-bullying website is to be developed to provide information for parents, young people, youth workers, sporting and cultural associations and school staff on types and methods of bullying and how to deal with bullying behaviour. This is now being considered as part of the implementation plan for Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures.
Cyberbullying
The Minister of Communications established an Internet Content Governance Advisory Group under the chair of Dr. Brian O’Neil in December 2013 to ensure our national policy represents best practice in offering the same online protections to our citizens as those available in the offline world.
The Group’s report was approved by Cabinet and published in May 2104 and makes several recommendations aimed at protecting children and young people without unduly limiting their opportunities and rights online. Along with changes to institutional, administrative and legal structures, the report makes four specific recommendations on cyberbullying aimed at providing stronger supports for tackling this issue through primary and post-primary curricula, and additional training and awareness measures.
In Ireland Safer Internet Day is promoted by the PDST Technology in Education and Webwise.ie. It is also strongly supported by the Safer Internet Ireland Project. This was held earlier in February with the theme "Let's create a better internet together".
Work with Youth services
Schools are strengthening collaboration and interaction with youth services and promote the active participation by pupils in youth focused services within their local communities. DCYA supports the National Youth Health Programme which is in partnership with the HSE and the National Youth Council of Ireland. The programme's aims are to provide a broad-based, flexible health promotion/education support and training service to youth organisations and to all those working with young people in out-of-school settings.
Work with Primary Care Teams
Work is currently under way with primary care teams in the HSE to pilot 'social prescribing'. Social prescribing creates a formal means of enabling primary care services to refer young people with social, emotional or practical needs which include experience of being bullied or showing bullying behaviour to a variety of holistic, local non-clinical services.
366. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which his Department maintains regular contact with groups, bodies or agencies involved in the support of children, with particular reference to voluntary groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8284/15]
View answerMy Department has contact with various voluntary groups, bodies and agencies involved in the support of children. These contacts relate to a range of responsibilities that come within my remit and some bodies have multiple contacts with my Department in line with their respective areas of interest.
On an ongoing basis, we have contacts with the State Bodies coming within remit of my Department, namely, the Child and Family Agency and the Adoption Authority of Ireland. We have contact with the Ombudsman for Children in the context of our relationship with that Office under the governing legislation.
Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014-2020 is a document for the whole of government and indeed the whole of society. The Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures Advisory Council was established in November 2014 and includes representatives from key groups working in the areas of Early Years, Children and Youth, as well as independent experts and individuals nominated by myself. The Advisory Council ensures that the expertise and perspectives from the areas informs the implementation of Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures.
The Advisory Council provides a platform for the community and voluntary sector to support the implementation of Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, and to connect with the other implementation structures. As the community and voluntary sector connects with and mobilises communities, families and individuals, and are an essential partner to ensuring the successful implementation Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures and securing better outcomes from children and young people.
Children and Young People’s Services Committees (CYPSCs), previously known as Children's Services Committees (CSCs), are an initiative of my Department bringing together a diverse group of agencies in local county areas to engage in joint planning of services for children and are firmly embedded in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures. as an important vehicle for local interagency work. All major organisations and agencies working locally on behalf of children and young people up to the age of 24 are represented on CYPSCs. These committees work to improve the lives of children, young people and families at local and community level through integrated planning and improved service delivery. Communications are directed through a National Coordinator reporting to my Department and through a National Steering Group which will be reconstituted in the first quarter of 2015 with support and representation from my Department.
My Department works closely with the youth sector interests in developing key initiatives such as the National Youth Strategy 2014-20. The National Youth Work Advisory Committee, whose members include representatives of the national youth organisations, Government departments and the Education and Training Boards, that support youth services at local level, has an important advisory role to me in matters to do with provision for young people. In September 2014 I met with the representatives of some 30 national and major regional youth organisations to see how we can work together within resources available to ensure that programmes and services being provided are relevant and responsive to young people’s needs.
In the development of the Children First legislation, a number of roundtable meetings were held with key stakeholders to brief them on the provisions of the Bill. Further consultations with stakeholders will be undertaken in the context of the passage of the Children First legislation through the Houses of the Oireachtas.
My Department works with a wide range of non-government organisations in the development of policy and practice on children and young people’s participation in decision-making. A National Strategy on the Participation of Children and Young People in Decision Making is currently being developed.
Some specific topics involve contacts with particular groups. For example,
- the Children's Rights Alliance in relation to policy matters arising under the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child - specifically the Third Optional Protocol to the UNCRC on a Communications Procedure;
- the ISPCC in relation to the Missing Children's Hotline which is now funded by DCYA;
- Barnardos in relation to the provision of Guardian Ad Litem services under the Child Care Act 1991;
- The Children’s Research Network for Ireland and Northern Ireland, established in 2010 to support the research community to better understand and improve the lives of children and young people, by creating and maintaining an inclusive, independent, non-profit network through which information, knowledge, experience, learning and skills can be shared.
The Children Detention Schools (CDS) have a service level agreement with certain organisations. Empowering People in Care (EPIC) provide advice, support and individual advocacy services to children and young people in care, those preparing to leave care and those in aftercare. The Youth Advocate Programmes (YAP) organisation build partnerships between vulnerable young people, their families and communities to support their full potential through a community based, strengths focused, intensive support to selected young persons for up to six months on their discharge to aid their re-integration into their community where the child doesn't have other adequate supports in place.
The Early Years Policy Unit in my Department has ongoing interaction on a range of child care related issues with the 31 City and County Childcare Committees and the 7 National Voluntary Childcare organisations that represent child care providers and also advocate in relation to child care issues. The voluntary organisations include Barnardos, Early Childhood Ireland, Childminding Ireland, Border Counties Childcare Network, St. Nicholas Montessori, Irish Steiner Waldorf Organisation and Forbairt Naíonraí Teoranta.
Contacts with any other organisations not mentioned above can take place during the year, either at my request or in response to requests from the organisations concerned.
367. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the degree to which his Department continues to liaise with the various voluntary child and youth support agencies in County Kildare, with particular reference to addressing ongoing issues and challenges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8285/15]
View answerI will refer the Deputy to my reply to his similar question today (Reference No. 8285/15) that addresses this question on a national level. Such liaison with various voluntary support bodies across the spectrum of activity of my Department embraces the ongoing issues and challenges nationwide, including in Co. Kildare.
The Deputy will be aware that Children and Young People’s Services Committees (CYPSCs), which were previously known as Children’s Services Committees (CSCs), are an initiative of my Department bringing together a diverse group of agencies in local county areas to engage in joint planning of services for children and are firmly embedded in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: the national policy framework for children and young people 2014-2020 as an important vehicle for local interagency work. All major organisations and agencies working locally on behalf of children and young people up to the age of 24 are represented on CYPSCs. These committees work to improve the lives of children, young people and families at local and community level through integrated planning and improved service delivery.
The inaugural meeting of the Kildare Children and Young People's Services Committee took place in June 2010. Communications are directed through a National Coordinator reporting to my Department and through a National Steering Group which will be reconstituted in the first quarter of 2015 with support and representation from my Department.
368. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which his Department supports youth service programmes throughout the country, with a view to ensuring the availability to young persons of the maximum amount of positive supportive influences in such areas such as health awareness and character building, in order to develop better self-esteem and re-assure those in need of support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8286/15]
View answerMy Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. Targeted supports for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk young people are provided through the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund, Rounds 1 and 2, Local Drugs Task Force Projects and certain other programmes including the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme and Youth Information Centres. The funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 380,000 young people and involve approximately, 1,400 youth work staff in 477 projects and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country. In 2015, funding of €49.9m has been provided to my Department for these schemes. There has been no reduction in the overall allocation for youth services in 2015 which was a key priority for youth organisations.
The Deputy may be aware that my Department is developing a National Youth Strategy. The National Youth Strategy will focus on the youth-related policy commitments outlined in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People. It will be a universal strategy for all young people aged 10 to 24. It will have a particular focus on those who are most disadvantaged or at risk and who have the poorest outcomes and therefore in most need of support.
A National Youth Strategy Task Group, convened by my Department, is overseeing the development of the new Strategy. This Task Group comprises statutory youth interests and voluntary agencies and organisations working with young people.
I am keen that all stakeholders have a role to play in the development of the new National Youth Strategy and a comprehensive consultation process is underway at present. It includes online surveys of young people and those working with young people and a number of major stakeholder consultation events. These events are for young people, the youth sector, NGOs working for and with young people, Education and Training Boards, Government departments, agencies, business and academia and other youth interests. The consultation provides key stakeholders with the opportunity to reflect on the emerging priorities, to discuss the actions that will be required to achieve the Strategy’s goals and their own roles in implementing the actions to secure improved outcomes for young people. The events include consultation on the priorities for the new Strategy and the findings of the recently completed Value for Money and Policy Review of Youth Programmes that target disadvantaged young people. The review makes recommendations for the future operation of youth funding schemes and their development in the years ahead to ensure effective, evidence based programmes designed to secure the optimal outcomes for young people at risk of disadvantage and their communities.
The National Youth Strategy will provide a framework for actions initiated by Government Departments, statutory and non-statutory organisations into a co-ordinated, society-wide plan for young people. Key priority areas will be underpinned by realistic and achievable actions tied to specific outcomes and measurable indicators. The consultation on the new National Youth Strategy concludes at the end of this month and I anticipate that the Strategy will be completed promptly thereafter.
369. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which his Department remains in contact with, and supportive of, statutory and voluntary agencies providing counselling and support to young persons deemed to be in danger of self-harm; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8287/15]
View answerThe Child and Family Agency, Tusla, works closely with other care providers including the HSE, in respect of access to primary care services, child and adolescent mental health services, disability and other services. Tusla and the HSE have in place both a Memorandum of Understanding and a Joint Protocol for inter-agency collaboration which underpins the provision of these services for children. The purpose of the Memorandum of Understanding is to set out the partnership agreement between the HSE and Tusla to continue pre-establishment levels of service across both organisations. The objective of the Joint Protocol is to specify a pathway and associated responsibilities for children and families whose needs cross between Health Service Divisions and Tusla.
Both the Memorandum of Understanding and the Joint Protocol are subject to regular monitoring and review to ensure that they are working effectively in the best interests of children and families.
Responsibility for policy in relation to the treatment and support for young people with mental health problems and those requiring medical care as a result of self-harm rests with the Department of Health.
