Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 November 2011
471 Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the forthcoming national children’s strategy will be published; if the priorities of this strategy will differ from its predecessor; the way the mental health needs of children will be addressed in the new strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32864/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is developing a new strategy for children and young people for publication in mid 2012. It will build on Our Children — Their Lives, Ireland’s first children’s strategy ,which was published in 2000 and the goals, that children will have a voice in matters which affect them, that their lives will be better understood and that they will receive quality supports and services to promote all aspects of their development, will inform the new strategy.
The challenges facing children and young people today are very different to those that existed when the National Children's Strategy, Our Children — Their Lives, was published. The new strategy will take account of the new and emerging issues that impact on children’s lives today. It is being developed in a holistic way to comprehend the continuum of the lifecourse from infancy, through early and middle childhood, to adolescence through to early adulthood in keeping with my Department’s responsibilities for children and young people. It will have a specific focus on the aspects of growth and development that are unique to each time period and the policies and services that are required at each stage to secure good outcomes for children and young people.
Prevention and early intervention policies to promote all aspects of children's development including mental health well being will be central in the development of the strategy.
Government objectives in key policy areas for children and young people including those in relation to children and young people's mental health and well being, such as those set out in A Vision for Change and Reach Out, will be included in the policy framework for the new strategy.
The new strategy for children and young people will cover the period from 2012 to 2017. I intend that it will be the overarching framework under which policy and services for children and young people will be developed and implemented in the State.
