Written Answers Nos. 191-196
191. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which it is intended to reinforce the rights of the child with particular reference to addressing issues of physical, mental or sexual abuse; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7175/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is taking a lead role in the cross-sectoral implementation of Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children [2011]. A Children First Implementation Inter-Departmental Group has been established involving key Government Departments, An Garda Síochána and the Child and Family Agency. The purpose of the Group is to promote the importance of Children First compliance across Government and to ensure consistency of approach. The Group has completed a benchmark phase of establishing structures, mechanisms and activities in place within each sector to support and drive the implementation process. In July 2013 the Government approved the publication of each Departmental Children First Sectoral Implementation Plan on the relevant Department websites. A key priority of the Group is the development of appropriate reporting mechanisms in respect of the implementation of Children First within each sector and the assurance arrangements to monitor implementation and compliance.
It is important to emphasise that there have been significant legal and structural reform changes to improve all of the systems of protection of children in Ireland. In my own area, these changes include the establishment of the Child and Family Agency, the ongoing implementation of Children First National Guidelines and the development of legislation to put key aspects of Children First on a statutory footing. Officials from my Department are continuing to liaise with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel in relation to the drafting of the Children First Bill, which is now at an advanced stage. The Bill is included in the Government's legislative programme for the Spring/Summer session and I expect to submit it to Government in the coming weeks.
192. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which her Department continues to have dialogue with the various community-based youth support voluntary groups with a view to addressing areas of concern; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7176/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra193. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which her Department is in a position to reach out to and support young persons deemed to be in danger arising from depression and possible self-harm; the means used to liaise with such persons; the number of such contacts made in each of the past two years to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7177/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 192 and 193 together.
My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. Targeted supports for disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk young people are provided through the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund, Rounds 1 and 2, Local Drugs Task Force Projects and certain other programmes including the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme and Youth Information Centres. The funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 400,000 young people and involve approximately, 1,400 youth work staff in 477 projects and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country. In 2014, funding of €50.530m including €750,000 for a new capital funding programme has been provided to my Department for these schemes.
I, and officials of my Department have met, and continue to meet, regularly with many youth organisations and groups to see how we can work together to bring about the best possible outcomes for young people, having regard to resources available to us and to ensure that the programmes and services being provided are relevant and responsive to young people’s needs.
Young people benefit hugely from participation in youth work services. There is a growing body of research evidence which highlights how engagement in quality programmes helps young people to acquire important life skills such as confidence, problem solving, resilience and the ability to develop and maintain positive relationships and how it can enhance young people’s competences for communication, leadership and innovation and their employability.
My Department also provides funding on an annual basis to support the work of the National Youth Health Programme (€83,940 in 2013). This programme is a partnership between the National Youth Council of Ireland, my Department and the HSE. The programme aims to provide a broad-based, flexible health promotion/education support and training service to youth organisations and to all those working with young people in out-of-school settings.
This work is achieved through the development of programmes and interventions specifically for and with youth organisations throughout the country and the provision of training and support for workers and volunteers who implement these programmes. In particular, the Mindout Mental Health Promotion training and resource pack, which was developed by Health Promotion HSE West and NUI Galway, takes a positive approach to the promotion of emotional and mental health among young people and adopts a universal mental health promotion approach which has strong links with the “Support for all” element of the recent guidelines on Mental Health Promotion for Schools published by the HSE, Department of Education and the National Office for Suicide Prevention.
Ongoing engagement and dialogue with the youth sector organisations and with young people themselves are priorities in the development of the policies and services to support young people’s development and learning.
The National Youth Work Advisory Committee, appointed by me in January 2013 includes the key national youth organisations, that work directly with young people. The Committee, which also includes representatives of Government Departments, the Education and Training Boards and other statutory agencies involved in youth matters, has an important advisory role to me on issues to do with how youth work practice and services can better meet the requirements of young people.
My Department has regular engagement with members of the youth sector organisations in the development of policy initiatives that impact on young people. At this time, members of youth sector organisations are contributing to the development of the Children and Young Peoples’ Policy Framework, my Department’s new strategy for children and young people. They are also engaged with my Department in relation to the potential contribution of the youth sector to the measures to implement the youth guarantee. The National Youth Council of Ireland has a lead role in carrying out the EU structured dialogue process with young people in Ireland and the youth sector organisations are represented on the National Steering Committee chaired by my Department. It is planned that youth organisations will have a significant role in the new youth policy strategy which is being developed in my Department for completion in 2014. The next stage of the development of the youth policy strategy will include a consultation process with youth organisations, other youth stakeholders and young people themselves.
194. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which she remains confident regarding the adequacy of resources available to her Department to meet in full the cost of services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7178/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Revised Estimates for Public Services 2014 allocated gross funding to my Department of some €997 million which includes over €955 million in current funding and €42 million in capital funding. When Appropriations-in-Aid receipts of just over €22.8 million are taken into account, the net current funding allocated to my Department in 2014 is some €974.3 million. This level of funding (€997m) represents an increase of over €558 million on the 2013 Estimate of €439 million and the significant investment demonstrates that, while operating within difficult Budgetary constraints, this Government is strongly committed to delivering important reforms and service developments to support children and families.
I consider that the estimate provision for my Department will facilitate the delivery of a significant level of public services as well as a number of new policy measures that include the following. The establishment of the new Child and Family Agency took effect on 1 January 2014. This was a historic development and a significant milestone in the programme of this Government to fundamentally reform the delivery of services to vulnerable children and families. The level of funding allocated to the Agency is over €602m in current funding and €6.8m in capital spending. This resource allocation is for the continuing provision of services previously administered by the Health Service Executive, the National Educational Welfare Board and the Family Support Agency. The overall level of funding available, which is significant by any measurement, will help the agency to respond to demand and to the needs of clients. It will help to improve the level and quality of services and assist in responding to the historic legacy of failings highlighted in the various inquiry reports published in recent years. An additional €4 million was provided to support implementation of the Preschool Quality Agenda which seeks to support high standards through supporting the efforts of providers and their staff in delivering improved and more reliable quality; and to respond to concerns raised by parents. An increase of €1.5 million in funding was provided to address child poverty through the new Area Based Childhood (ABC) programme. This will bring to €4 million the State funding to be invested in this initiative in 2014. The total budget allocation for the programme over the period 2013 – 2016 is almost €30 million. €31m in capital funding is being made available to facilitate the continuation of construction work on the new Children Detention School facilities in Oberstown, Lusk, Co. Dublin. The timeline for the project will see the first three residential units available in the third quarter of 2014 and will be prioritised for the transfer of 17 year old boys from adult prison facilities, currently in St Patrick`s Institution.
Other important areas being supported in 2014 are the free Preschool Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme which has a funding provision of €175 million. Some 4,300 preschool services are participating in the programme and approximately 68,000 children are currently benefiting from it. In addition, in excess of €50 million is also being made available to support the delivery of a range of youth work programmes and services by the voluntary youth sector for all young people including those in disadvantaged communities.
