Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 28 Nov 1995

Vol. 458 No. 8

Written Answers. - Children in Care.

Tony Gregory

Ceist:

91 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Health the total number of children placed under section 5 of the Child Care Act 1991, in the period from January 1995 to 31 October 1995, in each of the Health Board areas in bed and breakfast accommodation, in hospital beds and in overnight accommodation in Garda stations; and if he will give details of their gender, age and length of stay. [17909/95]

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Mr. Currie)

The detailed information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department. I will arrange to let the Deputy have details as soon as they come to hand.

Tony Gregory

Ceist:

92 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Health the facilities that have been provided as a result of the implementation of section 15 of the Child Care Act, 1991, which became operative on 31 October 1995; and if these new facilities are sufficient to ensure that homeless children will no longer be placed in bed and breakfast accommodation, hospital beds and Garda stations. [17910/95]

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Mr. Currie)

Section 15 of the Child Care Act places a duty on the health boards to make arrangements for the provision of suitable accommodation for children who are taken into care in emergencies. It is one of the 44 sections of the Act which came into force on 31 October 1995.

Health boards have a range of options open to them in discharging their responsibilities under this section. These include short-term residential accommodation, emergency hostels, short-term foster care placements and other crisis intervention supports. As the House will be aware since 1993, additional funding of the order of £30 million on an annualised basis has been provided to develop child care and family support services. These developments have strengthened the capacity of the health boards to meet the demands of the new legislation and to respond to emergency situations. However, there is still much room for improvement and, with the support of the Minister for Health, I will be seeking additional resources for child care in the Estimates for 1996.

In relation to homeless children, as I have indicated here before, I do not regard the use of bed and breakfast accommodation as an acceptable response to the problem of youth home-lessness.

I am pleased to say that in the Eastern Health Board area, where the use of bed and breakfast is highest, the board is urgently pursuing all avenues open to it to increase the availability of accommodation for the young homeless. The board is committed to implementing the report of a joint Health Board/Union Working Group which recommends the cesation of the use of bed and breakfast accommodation from the end of this year. It is my firm intention that the use of bed and breakfast accommodation be eliminated at the earliest possible date.