Helen Keogh
Ceist:58 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for Health the contact, if any, between the Department of Equality and Law Reform and his Department with a view to ensuring the implementation of the Child Care Act, 1991.
Written Answers. - Child Care Act Implementation.
Consultations have taken place between both Departments on a range of legislative matters relating to the welfare of children, including the Child Care Act, 1991.
The timescale for the implementation of that Act has been decided by the Government. The legislation is to be brought into operation in its entirety over a three year period. Primary responsibility for ensuring that this objective is achieved rests with my Department.
The next phase of implementation involves the commencement of Parts III, IV, V and VI of the Act which deal with the protection of children in emergencies, care proceedings and the powers and duties of health boards in relation to children in their care. The need for the early implementation of these key provisions, which will greatly strengthen the powers of the health boards and the Garda to intervene in cases of child abuse, has been underlined in the report of the Kilkenny Incest Investigation.
When these priority provisions have been brought into operation, arrangements will then be made for the commencement of the remaining provisions of the Act, including Part VII which provides for the supervision of pre-school services and in which my colleague, the Minister for Equality and Law Reform has a particular interest.
It is my intention that there will be consultations between my Department and the relevant interest groups, both statutory and voluntary, in relation to the preparation of the various sets of new regulations required to give full effect to the Act. This will be done as part of a structured programme for the implementation of the legislation within the timescale determined by the Government.
I and my colleagues in Government are fully committed to resourcing the Child Care Act. This is reflected in the Health Estimates for 1994, which includes a provision of £15 million for the implementation of the legislation. These extra funds will meet the full costs of the various initiatives launched this year with the initial provision of £5 million. It will also finance a further round of major new service developments that will amount to £10 million in a full year. The scale of this investment in the child care area is unprecedented and demonstrates our determination to put in place a comprehensive range of services and supports to assist children and families in need.