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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 24 May 2000

Vol. 519 No. 6

Written Answers. - National Strategy for Children.

Jack Wall

Ceist:

49 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will report on the current stage of development of a strategy for children; the role other relevant Departments are playing in the development of the strategy; if the strategy is likely to be finalised early enough to be considered for next year's Estimates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14579/00]

Thomas P. Broughan

Ceist:

81 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Health and Children when the promised national children's strategy will be finalised and published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10514/00]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 49 and 81 together.

An interdepartmental group, at assistant secretary level, is preparing a national children's strategy, with the assistance of a cross-departmental team. The strategy will broadly reflect the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, will be child-centred and holistic in approach and will aim to improve the quality of children's lives, adopting a ten year timeframe for detailed planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. It will set out a range of proposals to advance the welfare and status of children in society; address the need to develop our research and information base; recommend more effective ways of obtaining the views of children and set out proposals on how to improve co-ordination and planning in the provision of services for children.

The interdepartmental group is representative of the following Departments: Health and Children; Education and Science; Social, Community and Family Affairs; Justice, Equality and Law Reform; the Environment and Local Government; Tourism, Sport and Recreation; Finance; the Taoiseach and the Attorney General's office. Each of these Departments has an input into the development of the strategy. In addition, the Departments of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands and Enterprise, Trade and Employment have contributed to the development of the strategy. The cross-departmental team which is assisting the interdepartmental group in the preparation of the strategy has members from the Departments of Health and Children; Justice, Equality and Law Reform; Social, Community and Family Affairs and Education and Science.

The consultation process, including consultation with children, will be completed at the end of June with the holding of a national forum to publicise the results of the consultation. Based on current projections, I expect that the interdepartmental group will have finished its work by next September. On completion the strategy will be submitted to Government for approval to publish.

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