P. J. Sheehan
Ceist:60 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for Health whether he has estimated the projected capital and full year revenue cost of implementing each phase of the Child Care Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Child Care Act Implementation Costs.
It is difficult to estimate the cost of implementing the Child Care Act as the new legislation involves a fundamental change in orientation to a more pro-active and preventative approach. The ultimate cost is largely dependent on the level of need that is identified and on decisions by health boards and courts on the extent of intervention needed in individual cases.
Given the scale and complexity of the new legislative provisions, it has always been recognised by all sides of the House and by the various interest groups that the Act would have to be implemented on a phased basis over a number of years. The Government are committed to providing the necessary resources to facilitate such a phased and orderly implementation of the legislation.
Last year a sum of £1 million was set aside in the budget to fund essential developments preparatory to the implementation of the legislation. These moneys were used to initiate a number of developments including: recruiting 30 additional social workers; providing additional places for the young homeless in Dublin, Galway, Athlone and Sligo; developing new children's residential centres at Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Stranolar; and developing new child psychiatric services in the North-Eastern, South-Eastern and Mid-Western Health Boards.
The full year cost of the developments approved during 1991 is estimated at almost £3 million and full provision for this is included in the 1992 Health Estimates and in the allocations notified to health boards.
I am anxious to build on the considerable progress made during 1991 so that we can bring substantial elements of the Child Care Act into operation during the current year. As the House will be aware, the Minister for Finance announced in the budget that a special allocation of £2 million will be made available for this purpose in 1992. This brings our investment in the Act this year to almost £5 million.
The additional moneys will be used to give effect to a number of important provisions of the Act. These include: section 3 which imposes a statutory duty on health boards to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection and empowers them to provide a comprehensive range of child care and family support services; section 5 which imposes a statutory duty on health boards to provide accommodation for homeless children; section 6 which requires health boards to provide or ensure the provision of an adoption service in their area; section 7 which requires each health board to establish a child care advisory committee to advise and assist it in the performance of its functions under the new legislation; and sections 9 and 10 which enable health boards to make arrangements with voluntary bodies to provide services on their behalf and to grant-aid them for that purpose.
The additional moneys will enable health boards in association with the voluntary sector to begin to develop a comprehensive range of child care and family support services, to recruit additional social workers, child care workers, child psychologists and child psychiatrists and to develop family resource centres and other special initiatives for families facing particular difficulties.