Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 10 Mar 1993

Vol. 427 No. 7

Written Answers. - Child Care Act, 1991.

Liz McManus

Ceist:

138 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health the number of sections of the Child Care Act, 1991 which have been brought into effect; if any timetable has been set for the implementation of the remainder of the Act; if his attention has been drawn to the decision of social workers in the Eastern Health Board area not to operate some provisions regarding homeless children because of the failure to allocate adequate resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Liz O'Donnell

Ceist:

151 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for Health if he will give an audit of those sections of the Child Care Act, 1991, which have not been implemented; if he will inform Dáil Éireann of the time scale and targets set for the implementation of those outstanding sections of the Act; the total amount of money made available to each regional health board for providing services under the Child Care Act, 1991, for the year 1992; and the moneys he intends to make available to the regional health boards to provide services under this Act.

Minister for Health (Mr. Howlin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 138 and 151 together.

The Programme for Economic and Social Programme contained a commitment to implement the Child Care Act on a phased basis over a seven year period. This commitment has been fully endorsed in the Programme for a Partnership Government. Seventeen sections of the Act have been brought into operation to date, including most of the service — delivery and preventative provisions contained in parts I and II of the Act. Among the important sections involved are:

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.

I intend to circulate a table setting out details of all 17 sections in the Official Report.

The next phase of implementation will involve the commencement of Parts III, IV, V and VI which deal with the taking of children into care, court proceedings and the powers and duties of health boards in relation to children in their care. These are the most complex provisions of the Act and also the most significant in terms of their resource implications. It is my intention that they will be brought into operation as soon as the necessary staff, services and facilities that are required to underpin them have been put in place.

When these provisions have been successfully implemented, I will proceed with the commencement of Parts VII and VIII of the Act which deal respectively with the supervision of pre-school services and the regulation of children's residential centres.

With regard to resources, the House will be aware that a sum of £2 million was set aside for child care in the budget of 1992. This was used to fund a number of new developments in the child care services including:

—the provision of additional hostel and other residential places for homeless children

—the creation of 50 new social worker, child care worker, psychologist and other community-based posts in the child care services

—the development of family placement services and improved supports for foster parents

—the establishment of a regional child care advisory committee in each health board area

—the extension of the "Stay Safe" child abuse prevention programme to primary schools around the country.

I will circulate in the Official Report details of the full year cost of the various child care developments approved in 1992. Full provision for this expenditure is included in the 1993 allocations to the health boards.

I am aware that the full implementation of the Act will require the provision of a significant level of additional resources. This is something that I intend to discuss with the Government when I receive the report of the investigation into the role of the health services in the horrific incest case in County Kilkenny. With regard to the industrial action by IMPACT members in the Eastern Health Board area, I understand that discussions are taking place between the officials of the board and representatives of the trade union and I hope that this will lead to an early resumption of normal working arrangements.

Child Care Act, 1991

Sections Brought into Operation to Date

Section	Title
Section 1	Short Title
Section 2	Intepretation
Section 3	Functions of health boards
Section 5	Accommodation for homeless children
Section 6 (part of)	Provision of Adoption Service
Section 7	Child Care Advisory Committees
Section 8	Review of Services
Section 9	Provision of Services by Voluntary Bodies
Section 10	Assistance for Voluntary Bodies
Section 11	Research
Section 66	Superannuation of certain staff
Section 69	Powers of Minister
Section 71	Prosecution of Offences
Section 72	Function of Chief Executive Officers
Section 73	Expenses
Section 74	Sale of Solvents
Section 79 (part of)	Repeals

Full Year Cost of Child Care Developments Approved in 1992

Health Board	£000
Eastern	750
Midland	120
Mid-Western	180
North-Eastern	180
North-Western	120
South-Eastern	220
Southern	250
Western	195