Vol. 305 No. 9
asked the Taoiseach if he will consider the recent suggestion, put forward by the Dublin branch of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, that a full-time Cabinet Minister be appointed with exclusive responsibility for child care.
4.
asked the Taoiseach if he will rationalise the present position whereby ministerial responsibility for child care services is at present divided between three separate Departments, namely, Health, Education and Justice.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together. The Minister for Health has, in accordance with a Government decision in October 1974, main responsibility, including that of coordination, in relation to child care. In pursuance of these responsibilities, the Minister has recently reconstituted the Task Force on Child Care Services, which has the following terms of reference:
to make recommendations on:
(a) the need for extension and improvement of services for deprived children and children at risk;
(b) the updating and modernising of the law in relation to children, including a new Children's Bill;
(c) administrative reforms which may be necessary to give effect to proposals arising from (a) and (b) above.
In the circumstances, it would not be advisable to pre-empt the final recommendations of the task force through major administrative reforms at this stage.
Arising out of that charge by the Minister for Health's child care committee could it eventuate in the establishment of a separate Ministry as a proposition? I am sure the Taoiseach, who has long administrative experience in Government, must know that three Ministers could not possibly be as effective as one Minister in charge of a particular question. Is it possible that the Minister's committee could recommend the establishment of a separate Ministry?
It is possible but I would not like at this stage to indicate to the Deputy that a separate Ministry would be established. It is only fair to say that there are many facets of administration which are common to a number of Departments and it would be impossible to set up a separate Ministry for every piece of administration.
I agree, but does the Taoiseach not agree that there is a special question now with the increasing proportion of youngsters in the population, with juvenile delinquency, youth drinking and so on, which is particularly shown in the Loughan House controversy where nobody seems to have responsibility or responsibility is divided among too many people with the result that we have the present sort of panic measures? Does the Taoiseach agree that we have reached the point where something must be done with growing youth unemployment in addition?
I agree that the problem is and has been for some years past more acute than it was ten or 20 years ago. Obviously, the task force will put forward recommendations to which the Minister for Health and the Government will have due regard.
Would the Taoiseach indicate his Government's intention in relation to the interim report of the same task force?
That is a separate question.
It is being implemented at the moment.
Does the Taoiseach mean by that that the establishment of Loughan House is in line with what was recommended in that report?
It is a separate question. It is hoped that the Loughan House project will go ahead as an interim measure to deal with what is a serious problem having regard to the safety of life and protection of property, especially in the built-up areas.
Would the Taoiseach not agree that this is at variance with what was proposed and that Loughan House is not in accordance with the recommendations of the task force?
I cannot permit a debate on this.
Would the Taoiseach agree that it is contrary to what was suggested?
No.
It is.
There are many other questions on the Order Paper in relation to that subject.
