Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2023
1080. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide an update on all reviews undertaken by, or on behalf of, his Department that have not yet been published; their expected publication date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48628/23]
View answerMy Department has commissioned an internal review of the Community Sponsorship Ireland Programme, which is being carried out by EY Ireland. This review is expected to be completed by end of 2023, although there are no plans to publish the review report at this point.
My Department has also secured the services of Fitzpatrick Associates to complete a Mid-Term Evaluation of Ireland’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) national programme. The review is due to be published in April 2024.
We are currently conducting a review of the provision of home visiting services for families with babies and young children. The First 5 Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families includes an action to agree a national approach to home visiting services, across a continuum of need, building on the current public health nurse home visitation programme and having regard to Irish evidence on the implementation of prevention and early intervention initiatives. Currently research is underway, conducted by the UNITE team at Maynooth University, in partnership with the Parenting Support Policy Unit within my Department, which aims to examine the resources, activity levels, geographical coverage and outcomes associated with home visiting programmes in Ireland. This will consider evidence of the effectiveness and implementation of home visiting programmes in Ireland and across the world. Consultations are underway with parents and home visiting services to explore the demand for and preferences for different types of home visiting services. Further consultation has also been undertaken with other key stakeholders to identify, assess and agree options for a standardised approach in Ireland to home visiting service provision.
The services contract on this review is due to end on the 31st of December 2023 and publication is expected in the first quarter of 2024 pending internal review.
Following a competitive tendering process, Mazars have been appointed by my Department to undertake an independent review of the current National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy 2019 – 2021. The purpose of the review is to determine what has been achieved or not achieved under the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy, and to identify key priority areas for inclusion in the successor National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy. In October, Mazars facilitated a stakeholder survey and focus group consultation. Additionally, desk based research is being conducted to identify key themes and trends for consideration in the next Strategy, and we will also be reviewing international and national research and LGBTI+ strategies from other jurisdictions for examples of good practice. The review is expected to be published in Q1 2024.
