Wednesday, 2 Dec 2015

Written Answers Nos. 91 - 109

Garda Station Closures

Questions (91, 92, 93)

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

91. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda Síochána stations that have been closed since March 2011. [43105/15]

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

92. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the savings from closing Garda Síochána stations, by station; how she arrived at the savings as previously indicated in a reply to a parliamentary question. [43106/15]

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

93. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of former Garda Síochána stations that have been disposed of and that will be disposed of by the end of 2015, and thereafter. [43107/15]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I propose to take Questions Nos. 91 to 93, inclusive, together.

The formulation of proposals in relation to the opening and closing of Garda Stations is a matter, in the first instance, for the Garda Commissioner in the context of annual policing plans, as provided for in section 22 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005.

The Garda District and Station Rationalisation Programme implemented in An Garda Síochána during 2012 and 2013 resulted in the closure of 39 Garda stations in 2012 and 100 Garda stations in 2013. It is understood from discussions with the Garda Commissioner that the current consolidation process is largely completed and there are no plans at present for further station closures in 2015 and 2016.

The Programme was based on a review of the Garda Station Network by Garda management which concluded in relation to certain stations, many of which were only open part-time and manned by a single Garda, that resources could be better deployed and more effectively used on the front line if those stations no longer had to be staffed and maintained. In reaching these conclusions, Garda management reviewed all aspects of the Garda Síochána policing model, including the deployment of personnel, the utilisation of modern technologies and the overall operation of Garda stations. The Programme supports the provision of a modern 21st century policing service for both urban and rural areas and allows front line Gardaí to be managed and deployed with greater mobility, greater flexibility, and in a more focused fashion, particularly with regard to various targeted police operations. As a result of the Programme, communities have benefited from increased Garda visibility and increased patrolling hours which has enabled An Garda Síochána to deliver an improved policing service to the public.

The Programme identified proposed savings of €4,000 per annum on utilities and maintenance as a result of the closure of each station building giving rise to estimated total direct savings to the State of €556,000 per annum. While the direct savings are modest, it is important to recall that the primary objective of the Programme was to identify opportunities to introduce strategic reforms to enhance service delivery, increase efficiency and streamline practices within An Garda Síochána.

The Garda Stations which have been closed were returned to, and are now under the control of, the Office of Public Works (OPW). The future use of such properties is a matter for the OPW as the owners of the properties.

Immigration Status

Questions (94)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

94. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current and expected residency status of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 6; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43110/15]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the records indicate that the person referred to by the Deputy was presented with a Certificate of Naturalisation at a citizenship ceremony held at the Convention Centre, Dublin on 4 July 2013.

The Deputy may wish to note that queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been established specifically for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.

Prisoner Data

Questions (95)

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

95. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons imprisoned for sentences of less than six months in each of the years 2011 to 2015 to date. [43111/15]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I am informed by the Irish Prison Service that the number of persons imprisoned for sentences less than six months for each years 2011 to 2014 is set out in the table; figures for 2015 are not yet available.

Year	Number of persons imprisoned for sentences less than six months
2014	9,421
2013	8,891
2012	9,213
2011	8,270

Prisoner Data

Questions (96)

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

96. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the cost of imprisoning one person in a prison for one month, and for one year. [43112/15]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I am advised that the average annual cost of an available staffed prison space is calculated for inclusion in the Annual Report of the Irish Prison Service. For 2014, the latest year for which a figure is available, the cost was €68,959 which equates to an average monthly cost of €5,747 per available staffed prison space.

Prison Accommodation Standards

Questions (97)

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

97. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality what it would cost to end the practice of slopping out within our prison system. [43113/15]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I can inform the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service Strategy Statement 2012/2015 identified the elimination of slopping out in the prison estate as a priority.

When the current Government assumed office in March of 2011 the practice of “slopping out” was still happening in Cork, Mountjoy, Limerick and Portlaoise prisons. As the Deputy will be aware, this Government has committed significant resources to the improvement of the prison estate. In keeping with our commitment to eliminate slopping out, as made in the Programme for Government, the focus of capital investment in prisons has been weighted towards achieving that goal.

All of the wings in Mountjoy Prison have been completely refurbished thereby facilitating the elimination of the practice of slopping out in the prison. A completely new replacement prison in Cork is almost complete and will be operational in February 2016.

I recently announced that the public consultation process on planning proposals for a major development at Limerick Prison has commenced. The proposed development will see the replacement of both the A and B Wings with a new modern cell block designed to meet international standards and will end the practice of slopping out in Limerick Prison. The development will also include a new accommodation block for female prisoners. This represents a very significant investment in the justice sector in Limerick and when completed will provide a very high standard of accommodation for both prisoners and staff in Limerick Prison. The enabling works for the redevelopment of Limerick Prison are scheduled to begin in 2016 with the main construction phase to start in early 2017. In addition, planning for a development at Portlaoise Prison that will bring slopping out to an end there is underway

When the new Cork prison opens next February, slopping out will have been ended across the entire of the prison estate except for the A wing at Limerick Prison and the E block at Portlaoise prison.

I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that while numbers of prisoners housed on those wings will vary from day to day there is currently at a daily average of 50 prisoners in Limerick A wing and 34 in Portlaoise E block. To put those numbers in context, they represent less than 2% of the average daily numbers in custody.

The modernisation and improvements in prison conditions outlined above is tangible evidence of this Governments ongoing commitment to ending the practise of slopping out.

Immigration Status

Questions (98)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

98. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current and expected residency status of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43132/15]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned is the subject of a Deportation Order made on 30 January 2006.

Representations were received from the person's legal representative, to request the Minister to use her discretion, pursuant to Section 3 (11) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), to revoke the Deportation Order. The Deputy might wish to note that any such decision will be to 'affirm' or to 'revoke' the existing Deportation Order. In the mean-time, the Deportation Order remains valid and in place.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.

Garda Inspectorate Reports

Questions (99)

Pat Rabbitte

Question:

99. Deputy Pat Rabbitte asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she has recently taken a report from the Garda Síochána Inspectorate; if she will publish it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43144/15]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I received the report from the Garda Inspectorate of its part of the review of An Garda Síochána to be completed under the Haddington Road Agreement on 13 November last. In accordance with the terms of reference set for the Inspectorate the report examines all aspects of the administration and operation of An Garda Síochána, including its structure, organisation, staffing and deployment.

My intention is to bring the report to Government shortly and thereafter to make arrangements for it to be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas, as required under section 117 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, and then published.

UN Conventions Ratification

Questions (100)

Colm Keaveney

Question:

100. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the legislative steps that need to be taken in order to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities; the time frame for this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42334/15]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality

The Deputy's Question is comprehensively answered in the roadmap to Ireland’s ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which details the legislative changes to be undertaken to enable Ireland to ratify the Convention, along with the estimated timeframe involved and a clear and unambiguous deadline for ratification by end-2016. The roadmap was published on 21 October 2015. As announced at that time, the Government has inter alia approved the drafting of the Equality/Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill to make a range of miscellaneous amendments to statute law necessary to enable ratification. Work on the General Scheme of this Bill is underway, with a view to submission to Government very soon.

The Roadmap to Ratification is available on my Department’s website. It sets out the considerable work currently underway to deal with outstanding barriers to Ireland’s ratification, including legislation governing decision-making capacity, mental health legislation, the law governing the administration of electro-convulsive therapy (ECT), amendments to the criminal law, and the removal of archaic and offensive references across the statue book to persons being “of unsound mind”. Other issues to be addressed include the provision of reasonable accommodation, and ensuring that the Convention’s requirements are met in relation to deprivation of liberty. These, along with other necessary amendments, will be addressed in the Equality/Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.

Child Protection Services Provision

Questions (101)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

101. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he is satisfied with the availability of adequate resources to provide for the requisite services for children at risk; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43152/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

I am pleased to inform the Deputy that significant extra resources have been allocated to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency for 2016. The gross funding allocation for Tusla in 2016 is €676 million, representing an increase of €38 million over the 2015 allocation. This includes €662.4 million in current expenditure and €13.6 million in capital expenditure.

The overall level of funding that I have provided will significantly strengthen Tusla's base funding level and will give the Agency greater capacity to respond to current risk and anticipated demand.

The additional resources are intended to alleviate service pressures in child welfare and protection services, in particular pressures being faced in the area of unallocated cases.

This level of provision addresses key priorities identified by Tusla in the pre-Budget discussions. The funding provision will give rise to a substantial recruitment programme involving up to 400 additional staff next year.

In accordance with the Agency's establishing legislation, my Department has issued a detailed Performance Statement to inform the preparation of Tusla's Business Plan for 2016. This Statement sets out the key priorities that I require of Tusla in the coming year. In accordance with the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013, Tusla is required to submit a Business Plan for 2016, within 30 days of receipt of the Performance Statement which issued on 20 November 2015.

Children in Care

Questions (102)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

102. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children in residential care and in foster care; if adequate resources are available to meet these demands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43153/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has a statutory duty under the Child Care Act 1991 to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection and, if necessary, to receive a child into the care of the State. I am satisfied that Tusla takes its responsibility very seriously regarding the welfare of children in care and that there is a robust framework of regulations and standards, to ensure that children are placed in safe and caring settings.

The following table shows the total number of children in care broken down by the number in foster care and the number in residential care at the end 2014 and as at September 2015.

-	No. of Children in Care	No. of Children in Foster Care	No. of Children in Residential Care
2014	6,463	6,011	325
2015 (31/09/2015)	6,373	5,914	337

All children in care should have an allocated social worker but it is important to note that if a child has not been allocated a social worker, the cases are reviewed regularly by the principal social worker and are managed by duty social work teams to ensure the necessary needs of the children are being met. Currently, 92% of children in care have an allocated social worker (5,880/6,373). The additional funding of €38 million which I have allocated to Tusla for 2016, will give the Agency greater capacity to respond to ongoing demand. These additional resources are intended to alleviate pressures being faced in the areas of unallocated cases, private residential and foster care, and domestic sexual and gender based violence services.

As the majority of children in care are in foster care family settings in the community, indicators of stability of the placement and participation in education are useful in monitoring the performance of Tusla in relation to overall welfare. I am happy to say that Tusla has reported that the results for these indicators are positive and show that placement stability is very high and participation in education is on a par with the national participation rates.

Mental Health Services Provision

Questions (103)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

103. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if adequate resources continue to be made available to children or their families at risk through self-harm; if particular requirements remain to be met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43154/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

The prime 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 currently lies with the Department of Health. The issue of mental health problems, including self harm in young people is a complex issue requiring inputs from a wide range of stakeholders including young people, parents, schools, the media, youth organisations and the Primary Care and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) of the Health Service Executive.

The 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.

Tusla is also proposing to put in place a Service Level Agreement with the HSE to strengthen current arrangements and to ensure the provision of effective services for children and families. The Service Level Agreement will determine the quantum of service needed to meet the Agency's requirements.

Children also have access to publicly funded child and adolescent mental health teams and primary care psychology services provided by the Health Service Executive. Additionally there are a number of services commissioned by social work departments around psychotherapeutic supports.

Clinical psychology services are directly provided by Tusla within multi-disciplinary teams deployed by the Assessment, Consultation and Therapy Service (ACTS). Services provided include assessment and focused interventions for children and young people with complex clinical needs and high risk behaviours. They also provide support to other professionals in order to guide interventions to children and families.

I am pleased to inform the Deputy that significant extra resources have been allocated to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency for 2016. The gross funding allocation for Tusla in 2016 is €676 million, representing an increase of €38 million over the 2015 allocation. This includes €662.4 million in current expenditure and €13.6 million in capital expenditure.

The overall level of funding that I have provided will significantly strengthen Tusla's base funding level and will give the Agency greater capacity to respond to current risk and anticipated demand.

In accordance with the Agency's establishing legislation, my Department has issued a detailed Performance Statement to inform the preparation of Tusla's Business Plan for 2016. This Statement sets out the key priorities that I require of Tusla in the coming year. In accordance with the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013, Tusla is required to submit a Business Plan for 2016, within 30 days of receipt of the Performance Statement which issued on 20 November 2015.

Child Abuse Reports

Questions (104)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

104. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of reports of the physical, mental or sexual abuse of children received in each of the past five years to date; if an adequate response has been achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43155/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

Tusla, the Child and Family Agency holds the statutory responsibility for child welfare and protection, and is the appropriate body to receive reports of concerns relating to children at risk. Where there are reasonable grounds for concern for a child's welfare and protection, Tusla should always be informed.

As part of governance arrangements, Tusla provides my Department with regular performance activity reports for monitoring purposes. These include figures showing the number of referrals which are disaggregated by welfare concerns and abuse concerns.

Not all referrals will result in a need for a social work service or in a child being received into care and approximately 50% can be expected to proceed from preliminary enquiry to the initial assessment stage. The reasons for this include the duplication of referrals, the child being known to the service and receiving other services such as Meitheal or other Family Support, or that the referral was not appropriate for the agency.

The most recent validated figures for welfare concerns and abuse concerns at the end of first quarter of 2015, showed 4,770 abuse concern referrals and 6,223 welfare concern referrals. Of these referrals, 56% of abuse concerns and 44% of welfare concerns went forward to the initial assessment stage. The referrals of a child abuse concern were reported as: Physical (22%), Emotional (37%), Sexual (15%) and Neglect (26%).

The data collected by Tusla on referrals is collated, validated and published quarterly in arrears. The Deputy has requested data on the past five years and the table shows the total number of Child Protection referrals for the past four years and the latest figures for 2015 broken down by abuse category where available.

No. of Child Protection Referrals	2015 Q1	2014 Outturn	2013 Outturn	2012 Outturn	2011 Outturn	2010 Outturn
Physical	1,038	4,066	4,330	No Breakdown Available	3,033	2,608
Emotional	1,743	6,233	5,217	No Breakdown Available	4,001	2,500
Sexual	729	3,114	3,385	No Breakdown Available	3,326	2,962
Neglect	1,260	5,263	6,421	No Breakdown Available	5,458	4,755
Total Referrals	4,770	18,676	19,353	19,044	15,818	12,825

It is difficult to say if a satisfactory resolution, from a child's point of view has been achieved in all instances, however, it is important to note that children are consulted, in as far as possible, in relation to decisions that affect them.

Children in Care

Questions (105)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

105. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if resources continue to be made available to meet demands arising from children or teenagers who have been abandoned; if the structures in place are adequate to meet the requirements in terms of response and follow up; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43156/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the number of children coming into care has fallen over the past number of years. The most recent figures are outlined in the table. As these figures are released on an annual basis, validated figures for 2014 and 2015 are not yet available.

YEAR	ADMISSIONS TO CARE
2009	2,372
2010	2,291
2011	2,248
2012	2,070
2013	1,869

I wish to assure the Deputy that Tusla deals immediately with emergency cases, including for instance, if a child has been abandoned or is in immediate physical danger or at immediate risk of sexual abuse. Social work duty teams keep high priority cases under review by regularly checking to ascertain risk to the child, and where necessary will reprioritise the case.

I was pleased to be able to allocate significant extra resources to Tusla for 2016. The overall level of funding that I have provided will significantly strengthen Tusla's base funding level and will give the Agency greater capacity to respond to current risk and anticipated demand, addressing areas of currently unmet need during 2016. The 2016 gross funding allocation under Budget 2016 includes an allocation of €676 million for Tusla, representing an increase of €38 million over the 2015 allocation. This includes €662.4 million in current expenditure and €13.6 million in capital expenditure.

The additional resources are intended to alleviate service pressures in child welfare and protection services, in particular pressures being faced in the areas of unallocated cases, private residential and foster care and domestic, sexual and gender based violence services.

This level of provision addresses all of the key priorities identified by Tusla and considered to be achievable in 2016. The funding provision will give rise to a substantial recruitment programme involving up to 400 additional staff next year.

Child Protection Services Provision

Questions (106)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

106. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which various voluntary groups, bodies and organisations dealing with the rights and well-being of children remain in contact with him and vice versa; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43157/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

My Department has contact with various voluntary groups, bodies and organisations dealing with the rights and well-being 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 its governing legislation.

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 me. The Advisory Council provides the platform through which the NGO sector connects with and mobilises communities, families and individuals, and is an essential partner to implementation of the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People.

My Department works closely with youth sector interests in developing key initiatives such as the National Youth Strategy 2014-20, which I launched in October. My Department maintains close contact with youth services throughout the country, and with the national and major regional youth organisations. Regular meetings are held to exchange information and the youth services actively work with my Department on the development of coordinated policies and services that meet young people’s needs. I, and officials of my Department have met, and continue to meet regularly, with youth organisations and groups. My aim is to see how we can work together in a coordinated way to bring about the best possible outcomes for young people.

During the development of the Children First legislation, a number of round-table meetings were held with key stakeholders to brief them on the provisions of the Bill. The legislation was enacted on 19 November 2015.

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. The first National Strategy on the Participation of Children and Young People in Decision making, 2015-2020 was developed following a consultative process involving key groups, bodies and organisations dealing with the rights and well-being of children.

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 my Department;

- 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 have service level agreements with certain organisations. Empowering People in Care provides 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 organisation builds partnerships between vulnerable young people, their families and communities. Their aim is to offer a community-based, strengths-focused, intensive support to selected young persons for up to six months on their discharge to aid re-integration into their community, particularly where the young person doesn't have other adequate supports in place.

The Early Years Policy Unit in my Department has ongoing interaction on a range of childcare related issues with the 31 City and County Childcare Committees and the 6 National Voluntary Childcare organisations that represent childcare providers and also advocate in relation to childcare issues. The voluntary organisations include Barnardos, Early Childhood Ireland, Childminding Ireland, National Childhood Network (formally Border Counties Childcare Network), St. Nicholas Montessori and the Irish Steiner Waldorf Organisation. Contacts with any other organisations not mentioned above can take place at any time, either at my request or in response to requests from the organisations concerned.

The Adoption Policy Unit of my Department has contact with various voluntary groups, bodies and organisations dealing with the rights and wellbeing of children. These include Treoir, International Adoption Association and other advocacy /representative organisations.

Juvenile Offenders

Questions (107)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

107. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he continues to engage with juvenile offenders in providing rehabilitative or educational supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43159/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

The children detention schools, based in Oberstown, Lusk, Co Dublin, deliver services focused on education and rehabilitation of all young people detained in order to address offending behaviour and support their early re-integration into the community. I am advised that the development project currently nearing completion in Oberstown includes a new purpose - built education, training and recreation facility which came into use in September last. Along with the existing services already being provided, these new facilities will ensure sufficient age and ability appropriate facilities to support the delivery, by the Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board, of the necessary education and training services to young people in detention.

In the children detention school system a range of rehabilitative supports is offered to every child as part of an overall programme, with the main emphasis placed on education and rehabilitation rather than on control and security. A strong ethos of school attendance, education and training is also in place. An individual management plan is put in place for each child which includes an assessment to determine the need for more specialist intervention from the Assessment, Consultation and Therapy Service (ACTS). This is a national service provided by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, that provides clinical services to children in detention and in special care, as well as short term interventions when the child returns to the community. There are also a number of other therapeutic and education programmes delivered on the Oberstown campus which are aimed at addressing offending behaviour patterns by children and ensuring their reintegration into society with all relevant supports that may be available in the community on a child's release put in place.

The Deputy may also wish to note that earlier community based interventions to divert young people from offending behaviour, such as the Garda Youth Diversions Projects and the Garda Diversion Programme are also in place in the community and come under the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality.

Bullying of Children

Questions (108)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

108. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will put a rapid alert system in place to detect and combat bullying of children and young adults through the electronic and social media; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43160/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

The most important step in addressing bullying, including cyberbullying, is for parents to talk to children about bullying whether it is through social media or not. Data gathered from nine year old children as part of Growing Up in Ireland, the National Longitudinal Survey commissioned by my department, showed that based on responses from their mothers, 24% of children had been victims of bullying in the past year. This represents a significantly lower proportion than that reported by children themselves, which was reported at 40%, suggesting either that many parents are unaware that their child has experienced bullying in the previous year, or that they may have different perspectives about what constitutes 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. The Plan sets out twelve actions aimed at helping to prevent and tackle all forms of bullying in primary and post-primary schools. The actions focus on support for schools, teacher training, research and awareness raising. Good progress has been made in implementing the actions set out in the report. New National Anti-Bullying Procedures for schools were published in September 2013 and are currently being implemented by all 4,000 primary and post primary schools in the country. Training materials for parents, teachers and Boards of Management are also being developed and rolled out. Cyberbullying is just one aspect of bullying, but one given the rapid expansion of access to technology by young people has come much more sharply into focus. The Stay Safe Programme, a personal safety skills programme for children is currently being updated to be available to schools during the 2015/2016 school year. The lessons on Bullying in the revised Stay Safe Programme relate to the types of Bullying Behaviour outlined in the definition of Bullying in the Anti-Bullying Procedures.

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, and includes programmes aimed at exploring bullying and cyberbullying with young people. Young people being bullied, or indeed those engaging in bullying behaviour, will sometimes need support which goes beyond that can be provided by their immediate family. Work is currently underway 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.

The Office for Internet Safety is an Executive Office of the Department of Justice and Equality has lead responsibility for internet safety in Ireland, particularly as it relates to children. In the Department of Justice and Equality, the Office for Internet Safety (OIS) acts as the co-ordinator in Ireland for the EU Safer Internet Programme. The OIS has a dedicated website which contains information and links on internet safety, it also has a series of booklets on internet safety issues which are available to parents and teachers. In addition, it produces awareness raising materials for the Safer Internet Day which is held in February each year. In 2013 and 2014 these concentrated on the issue of cyberbullying. As part of its work it holds an annual Safer Internet Day, which has included a rollout of a social marketing campaign specifically targeted at young people. The resources produced by the Office for Internet Safety makes available free of charge, in hard and soft copy, information resources on combating cyberbullying and on general safety online.

The Law reform Commission is currently conducting a project on Cyber-crime affecting personal safety, privacy and reputation, including cyber-bullying. The project will include an analysis of the types of harmful behaviour involved in this area, in particular bullying, and the impact which cyber-bullying through social media has had. The Commission’s report and recommendations, when available, will also inform consideration of any future action by Government in this area.

The Minister of Communications established an Internet Content Governance Advisory Group under the chair of Dr. Brian O’Neil in 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 which was published in June, 2014 included wide ranging recommendations. Many of these recommendations were administrative in nature, and are being implemented, a number of structural recommendations are currently under consideration.

The internet is a fluid, evolving environment, requiring policy makers, industry and relevant stakeholders to be flexible as they adapt to changing and emerging contexts. Parents also have a very important role in talking to their children about these issues and becoming familiar with tools and resources that will enable their children to take advantage of the many great opportunities the internet offers in a safe and positive manner. The internet does not now and will not stand still. But the work I have outlined will assist in shaping the governmental response, in the interests of all citizens.

Mental Health Services

Questions (109)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

109. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he has studied the issue of depression in young persons with particular reference to identifying early alert and subsequent support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43161/15]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

My Department collects information on the issue of depression in children through the Growing Up in Ireland Study.

Growing Up in Ireland, The National Longitudinal Study of Children in Ireland is a study which is wholly sponsored by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. Since 2007 the study has followed the progress of two groups of children: 8,000 9-year-olds and 10,000 9-month-olds across Ireland to collect a host of information to help improve our understanding of all aspects of children and their development.

The Growing Up in Ireland Study has investigated depression and mood in the older child cohort and as the infant cohort ages, similar questions will be introduced.

The 13 year old wave of data collection included a ‘Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire’ (not a clinical measure of depression) and a Children’s Self-Concept Scale for measuring the child’s self-esteem. The study found ‘low mood’ to be substantially associated with relationships with family, school and peers. ‘Low mood’ was strongly related to all aspects of self-esteem.

These findings are summarised in the Growing Up in Ireland report: ‘The Lives of 13-year-olds: Their Relationships, Feelings and Behaviours’. This report is available on the Growing Up in Ireland website.

Phase Two of Growing Up in Ireland has recently commenced, with data being collected from 17 year olds. This includes a range of questions regarding mental health. One such question in the questionnaire asks specifically on how many days over the past week did the respondent feel depressed.

Growing Up in Ireland is compliant with the Statistics Act, and so participant’s anonymity is maintained and this data is used for statistical purposes only. It is not used as an early-alert support. However if completing the questionnaire brings issues to the surface a young person they will be provided with information about where they can seek help.

Growing Up in Ireland data is open to the public. Requests can be made through the Irish Social Science Data Archive in UCD, or through my Department.

With reference to early alert and subsequent support, this falls under the remit of my colleague the Minister for Health.

In the first instance, any parent who suspects his/her child may be suffering from mental health problems should bring their child to their local GP who will in turn refer the child to the appropriate Mental Health Services, Primary Care or approved Child and Adult team.

The HSE Mental Health Division supports timely access to appropriate services to address the mental health needs of all children from a preventative care model and early intervention perspective. It should be noted, however, that mental health problems are not the sole remit of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Depending on the nature and severity the health need, services may be provided by the Childcare services, at Primary Care or at CAMHS level.

The HSE recently adopted a Standard Operating Procedure for both in-patient and community based CAMHS. This should help to ensure that services are delivered consistently and transparently. Most importantly, it will help to ensure that the care and treatment offered reflects the identified clinical needs of the child.