Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 December 2016
35. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if progress has been made in addressing the problems at the Oberstown centre; the involvement she and her Department have had in seeking to resolve them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39941/16]
View answerI and the other two members of the Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs, who are in the Chamber, visited Oberstown. I know the Minister is well aware of the difficulties there and we all want to see progress on this. There seems to be some threat of further industrial action. Will the Minister clarify what is happening?
I am anxious to see an early resolution to all the issues in the Oberstown centre. The safety and well-being of young people and staff is my primary concern.
I have taken an active involvement in understanding the challenges that are facing Oberstown and in trying to identify the best way forward. I have visited the campus on a number of occasions since my appointment. In June of this year the emphasis of my visit was on the education facility where I had the opportunity of meeting the young people and their teachers.
In October 2016, I visited Oberstown to meet Professor Barry Goldson and Professor Nicholas Hardwick as part of their work in their independent review of operations and best practice on the campus. Most recently, on 21 November 2016, I visited Oberstown and met the young people, staff and management of the campus as well as the chairperson of the board of management. I made a number of suggestions to the director about activities for young people and other matters. Following my invitation, Deputy O’Sullivan and the other members of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs visited Oberstown on 9 November 2016.
I have also met the local residents from Oberstown accompanied by local representatives. From these meetings a community safety plan has been developed.
A range of reviews are under way in Oberstown, including an independent review of operations, an independent expert review of security, of health and safety, and of the behaviour management programme currently in use. Oberstown is also looking at all policies, including care, safeguarding and professional standards on the campus.
Given the many initiatives now under way, which are known to all parties in the context of the process in the Workplace Relations Commission, I am very disappointed that there is still a danger of further industrial action in early January. I have asked my Department and Oberstown management to engage with the unions and the Workplace Relations Commission to resolve matters.
I thank the Minister for her response and I welcome it. She has visited Oberstown a number of times and I and my two colleagues have visited it as well. There is deep concern about the situation there. We would all agree that the school is running well. There has been a positive experience there from what we saw when we visited it. However, there seems to be a difficulty around relationships between the staff and management. I note the Minister said that there is a range of reviews. She might give us some information on when those reviews are likely to be completed in order that we can have a sense of some direction with this. The Minister might clarify if a date has been set for the process at the Workplace Relations Commission and whether everybody has agreed to attend.
Before calling the Minister, Standing Orders permit me with respect to Other Questions to give other Deputies an opportunity to ask a brief supplementary question in order that the Minister might answer all the questions. I call Deputy Rabbitte first to be followed by Deputy Ó Laoghaire.
I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for posing this question. My question is about a timeframe for the reviews, as has been asked by Deputy O'Sullivan. Also, with regard to the Workplace Relations Commission, what is the Department doing to avert the possible industrial action? My understanding is that all-out industrial action is proposed this time.
I recognise that the priority must be the children, the interests of the child are at the heart of everything the staff and management do and that is their primary concern, but I do not believe staff would take the decision to take industrial action lightly.
What progress has been made on the works, for which the Office of Public Works is responsible, which are central to many of the concerns of the staff?
I thank the Deputies for the questions. A meeting with IMPACT, Department officials and Oberstown management took place last week and the parties are in discussion to move forward matters of particular concern regarding the safety and well-being of staff as well as of children. Matters are progressing in this regard and I am hopeful that I will hear further on that in the coming days. I believe I can say that. There is communication back and forth to move towards some process to ensure a resolution of those safety concerns in the context of some of the wider reviews that are ongoing.
In terms of the timeframe for some of the other reviews, the independent review will be delivered on 20 December.
The Minister has given us a good deal of information but the real concern is if there is a strike, serious issues arise about the safety of the young people and how they will be looked after. I do not know if there is a plan or if the Minister has genuine hope that this process will address the issues. I agree with Deputy Ó Laoghaire that some of them are quite practical in terms of issues that can be addressed.
Some of the others may be a bit more intractable. We all want to ensure that the concerns the staff expressed to us are addressed.
As I indicated, I also met the staff and have listened to their concerns. There are contingency plans in place if there is a strike. Conversations are taking place, along with efforts to get the parties back around the table to resolve the issues, particularly those relating to safety. Works by the Office of Public Works are moving forward. I do not have the exact details for Deputy Ó Laoghaire but I can provide them later.
I am hoping that there is another process which will allow the staff to engage and avert the strike. There will be an independent review to identify some of the problems. I will meet the staff and management and a roadmap will be provided to help us move forward.
