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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 7 Mar 2002

Vol. 550 No. 2

Written Answers. - Child and Adolescent Centres.

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

612 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 188 of 6 December 2001, and the further information provided in reply to Parliamentary Question No. 204 of 14 February 2002, he will provide a revised figure for the annual cost per child in 2001 in the Finglas Children's Centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7860/02]

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

654 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science if, further to the inspection of the Finglas Children's Centre, Dublin 11 currently under way and in view of the extremely high number of staff who have left the centre in the past three years, he will request the inspector to interview these ex-staff members in order to establish a comprehensive account of the difficulties there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8207/02]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 612 and 654 together.

The unit cost figure for the Finglas children's centre for 2001, as already outlined to the Deputy, was estimated by reference to an operational capacity of 40 boys. That operational capacity of 40 was used in the calculation of the unit cost figures for each of the three years in respect of which details were requested as being representative of the operational capacity for the years in question. It also allows for comparison between the unit costs for each year. I do not propose to alter this method of calculation of unit costs for the centre.

The Deputy refers to the independent inspection of the Finglas Children's Centre being carried out by Mr. M. Laxton, who is an inter nationally recognised expert in the field of residential child care. The inspector will meet with centre management, staff and children resident in the centre in the course of the inspection. In addition, he will have access to my Department's files on the centre and files held by the centre itself, including those relating to personnel and staffing issues. This is an independent inspection and it would be inappropriate for me to try to direct the inspector to conduct the inspection in a particular manner. However, it is open to the inspector to meet with and interview any staff member of the centre and others, including former staff, where he considers this necessary and appropriate to the satisfactory completion of the inspection process. I reiterate my invitation to the Deputy to meet with the inspector if there are concerns that she wishes to bring to his attention in relation to this centre.
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