Vol. 547 No. 1
697 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Health and Children the 11 Departments represented through the new structures comprising the national children's strategy; the monitoring and supervisory role of his Department in implementing and producing effective co-ordination between these Departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2819/02]
698 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will give a report on the meetings to date of the Cabinet Committee on Children; the decisions made by the committee; the priorities proposed to be dealt with in 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2820/02]
699 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Health and Children the nature of the lead role now being taken by the national children's office in respect of the national children's strategy; the key policy areas which the office regards as priority; the progress made to date in developing a national play and recreation policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2821/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 697 to 699, inclusive, together.
The Deputy will be aware that I am now responsible for overseeing the implementation of the national children's strategy and co-ordinating Government policy on children to maintain the policy coherence achieved through the publication of the strategy. This is in addition to my current statutory role in the Departments of Health and Children, Justice, Equality and Law Reform and Education and Science. I report to the Cabinet Committee on Children on progress being made.
The national children's office is providing a dedicated team to support me in my expanded role. The role of the office is to implement the national children's strategy in co-operation with the relevant statutory and non-statutory bodies. While Government Departments retain responsibility for implementing the national children's strategy, the national children's office co-ordinates and monitors progress to ensure that the goals of the strategy are being achieved. The office has an advisory board comprising assistant secretaries from the key Departments involved in implementing the strategy.
These are the Departments of the Taoiseach; Finance; 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; and Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands. The Attorney General's Office is also represented on the board.
The Cabinet Committee on Children, which was established in March of last year, met on three occasions in 2001. The composition of the committee reflects that of the advisory board of the national children's office, with the addition of the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. To date the Cabinet committee has agreed, inter alia, the core functions of the national children's office and the priority policy areas to be tackled. The priorities for the office are the implementation of the Children Act, 2001, and the national youth homelessness strategy and to develop a national play and recreation policy. Work in relation to these areas will be ongoing throughout 2002.
