Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 24 Oct 1995

Vol. 457 No. 4

Written Answers. - Child Care Inspectorate.

Frances Fitzgerald

Ceist:

25 Ms F. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Health if he intends to pursue the development of an independent inspectorate in residential homes for children in view of the fact that he now has the power to do this by virtue of the regulations under the Child Care Act. [14663/95]

Noel Treacy

Ceist:

29 Mr. N. Treacy asked the Minister for Health when he intends to put in place an independent child care inspectorate. [15494/95]

Frances Fitzgerald

Ceist:

89 Ms F. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Health if he will consider the establishment of a national inspectorate on child care to monitor standards in residential homes on an ongoing basis. [14653/95]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): I propose to take Question Nos. 25, 29 and 89 together.

The Child Care Act does not provide for the establishment of an independent national inspectorate of children's residential centres.

Under the Act, responsibility for monitoring standards in children's residential centres operated by voluntary bodies rests with the relevant health boards while responsibility for monitoring standards in centres run by health boards rests with the Department of Health.

To facilitate the commencement of Parts III to VI of the Child Care Act on 31 October, I recently made new regulations in relation to the placement of children in residential care by health boards. The new regulations, the Child Care (Placement of Children in Residential Care) Regulations, 1995, will also come into force on 31 October.

The regulations will require health boards to satisfy themselves as to the standards that obtain in children's residential centres. Health boards will be required, among other matters, to satisfy themselves that appropriate standards, care practices and operational policies are operated in residential centres catering for children placed by the boards. The regulations also require health boards to visit, supervise and review children in their care on a more systematic basis than before.

The new regulations also empower an authorised officer of the health board to enter and inspect a children's residential centre as required and to take the necessary action to ensure compliance with the regulations. Furthermore, the regulations permit the inspection, by a person acting on behalf of the Minister for Health, of the practices and procedures operated by a health board in relation to the provision of residential care services.

I am confident that the new regulations will go a long way towards ensuring high standards of care in all children's residential centres and in promoting and protecting the welfare of children in residential care.