Written Answers Nos. 800 - 829
800. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children with special educational needs participating in the early childhood care and education scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32544/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra819. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will as a priority ensure that special education needs for the early year sector will be within one Department and that national policy rolled out to ensure all children receive the additional supports as required. [32659/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 800 and 819 together.
The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme was introduced in January 2010 and provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children before they commence primary school. The programme is a free and universal provision to which all children have access and figures in relation to special needs children availing of this provision are not collated.
To ensure that the ECCE programme is more accessible to children with special needs a number of additional provisions have been added. These include an exemption from the upper age limit for qualification under the programme where a child is developmentally delayed and would benefit from starting primary school at a later age. In addition, children with special needs can apply to have the pre-school year split over two years on a pro-rata basis, for example availing of the programme for 2 days a week in the first year and for 3 days a week in the second year.
The Department does not have information in relation to the number of children with special needs currently participating in the ECCE programme. About 200 children avail of the over-age exemption and the pro-rata provision each year.
My Department has been working with the Department of Health in the context of building better supports to facilitate the children with special needs. The aim is to develop an agreed framework for the provision of resources to support special needs children in mainstream childcare settings.
801. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the recommended pupil teacher-ratio for early education and child care providers; the average pupil teacher ratio at present across early education and child care providers here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32545/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraChildcare services are governed by the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No 2) Regulations 2006. The Explanatory Guide to the Regulations recommends a range of adult/child ratios that reflect the age of the child and the level of care the child is receiving. For sessional pre-school services (i.e. services offering a planned programme to pre-school children for a total of not more than 3.5 hours per day), the ratios are:
Sessional Pre-School Services
|
Age Range |
Adult Child ratio |
|
0-1 year |
1:3 |
|
1-2.5 years |
1:5 |
|
2.5-6 years |
1:10 |
Following a reduction in the weekly capitation payment to pre-school services participating in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, which provides a free pre-school year to children prior to commencing primary school, the 1:10 adult/child ratio was increased to a ratio of 1:11 for children qualifying for the pre-school support. This decision, which was made so that participating childcare services would have some flexibility in managing the modest capitation reduction, relates only to the pre-school element of the service and not to other children enrolled in the childcare service.
The Early Years Quality Agenda is currently being progressed by my Department and will introduce a series of reforms that provide for the further development of the childcare sector. Legislation to strengthen the current Early Years Inspection regime and to underpin the Quality Agenda has been enacted. Regulations to give effect to the legislative changes are expected to be published shortly. New National Standards for early years services will also be published shortly and will provide the basis against which services will be inspected and reported on. It is expected that these new Standards will confirm the existing ratios.
802. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the percentage of childcare services subsidised for children under three years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32546/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraA number of childcare programmes are implemented by my Department to assist parents with the cost of childcare. These include the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme, and the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme. There is no specific funding allocated to provide for children in the 0 to 3 age category but childcare services can be availed of through one of the above programmes.
The ECCE programme provides funding to support approximately 68,000 children each year but the minimum qualifying age is 3 years 2 months at the commencement of the school year and children under this age do not have access to this provision.
The CCS programme provides support to community not for profit childcare services to enable them to provide childcare to lower income and disadvantaged families at reduced rates. Eligibility for support under the programme is based on the income status of the parent and children of all ages are eligible to enrol for support. There are more than 900 community childcare services participating in the CCS programme.
The CETS programmes support parents who are participating in Solas and Education Training Board (ETB) training and education courses with the cost of childcare. Children of all ages are eligible for support under this programme.
Two additional support programmes, the Community Employment Childcare (CEC) programme, which provides support to CE programme participants for children in the 0 to 13 age category, and the After-School Child Care (ASCC) programme, which supports certain categories of parents seeking after school care for primary school children, were introduced under the CETS programme and are currently implemented by my Department. The total number of providers in contract to provide services under the CETS programmes is 1,600 but it should be noted that the ASCC programme relates to school age children.
There are in the region of 4,500 notified childcare services currently delivering childcare services with nearly all of those participating in the ECCE programme. All of these services are eligible to apply for entry to the other support programmes with the exception of the Community Childcare Subvention programme which is limited to community services only.
803. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if persons working in the early education and childhood sector have access to continuing professional development; if workers in the sector are entitled to continuing professional development; the number of days CPD they are entitled to each year; if they are entitled to paid leave to take part in CPD and if their training is paid for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32547/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme provides for one free pre-school year for all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. The programme is normally provided for 3 hours per day, 5 days per week, over 38 weeks. The Government has made a very significant commitment in maintaining the pre-school year on a universal and free basis despite the current budgetary situation.
The ECCE programme is funded by my Department through the provision of capitation grants paid directly to participating services. This capitation payment is for the provision of services, including preparatory and supportive work such as engagement with parents, training and organisation. The standard capitation fee paid to participating services is €62.50 per week per eligible child. A higher capitation fee of €73 per week per eligible child is available to pre-school services with more highly qualified staff.
There are in the region of 4,300 pre-school services participating in the programme with new services applying to enter the programme each year. The funding provided under the programme is a guaranteed source of income, paid in advance, and is an important support to services at this time. Services applying to enter the programme should be satisfied that they can meet the full cost of providing the pre-school year from the capitation provided.
Ireland, like other European countries, doesn’t provide for mandatory Continuing Professional Development for early years practitioners. Data from the 2014 Eurydice and Eurostat Report ‘Key Data on Early Childhood Education and Care – Education and Training in Europe’ shows that in Denmark, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, Poland, Sweden and Norway, CPD is not obligatory for educational and care staff.
The same report identifies that ‘Continuing professional development (CPD) plays an essential part in increasing ECEC professionals' competences. In certain cases, participating in training allows staff not only to improve their knowledge and develop additional professional skills in ECEC, but also to upgrade their qualifications.
I would like to be in a position to provide for mandatory CPD but first I would like to see early years practitioners meet the new minimum requirements. The Deputy may be aware that as part of the early years quality agenda aimed at improving the quality of childcare services, new qualification requirements for childcare staff working directly with children were announced last year. A minimum qualification of Level 5 (or equivalent) on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) will be required for all staff working with children in pre-school services and the minimum qualification for all pre-school leaders delivering the free pre-school year under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme will be increased from Level 5 to Level 6 (or equivalent) on the NFQ. The new qualification requirements will apply to all new services from September 2014, and to all existing services from September 2015.
To support staff who are seeking to meet the new qualifications requirement, funding of €3 million is being made available over the two years 2014/2015 under the new Learner Fund which was launched in March this year. The Fund is being administered by Pobal, with the assistance of local City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs).
My Department also provides annual funding to seven voluntary childcare organisations in the childcare sector, who provide support to childcare services throughout the country. This funding, which will amount to over €2.6 million in 2014, enables the voluntary organisations to provide a range of support services to their members, including on-going training supports.
804. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of City and County Childcare Committees in the State and their role and annual cost for each year from 2001 to date in 2014; if he will outline in tabular form each committee by geographical location, the size of the child population they serve and the cost of funding each committee. [32605/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs) were established in 2001 to advance the provision of childcare facilities in their local areas. They comprise local representatives from the statutory, community and voluntary sectors, social partners, childcare providers and parents.
The role of the CCCs was expanded under the National Childcare Investment Programme to enable greater flexibility and responsiveness to local needs, and they had a key role in the development of local childcare infrastructure, quality standards, training and information. More recently, CCCs have been increasingly dedicated to locally managing administrative processes associated with the national childcare programmes (the Community Childcare Subvention programme, the Early Childhood Care and Education programme and the Childcare Education and Training Support programme). They also support the performance and sustainability of services in their respective areas.
Each CCC receives annual funding from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The Department was required to find savings of 8% in the overall Childcare Committees budget over the two years 2013 and 2014. In allocating the funding, the objective was to seek to more closely reflect the early education and childcare landscape within each area, and therefore reductions were not applied on a flat-rate basis as had been the case in previous years. For 2013, the reductions applied to CCCs ranged from 0% to 9%, based on an analysis undertaken by Pobal on behalf of the Department which took account of a number of factors, including the number of children aged 0-12 in the CCC’s catchment area, to arrive at a weighting for each CCC.
The Department of Children and Youth Affairs was established in 2011. The following table shows the funding provided from 2011-2014 and the number of children in the catchment areas derived from the National Population Census 2011.
|
County |
2011 Funding |
2012 Funding |
2013 Funding |
2014 Funding |
Census of Population 2011 0-4 years |
Census of Population 2011 5-12 years |
|
Carlow |
268,510 |
268,000 |
244,000 |
224,000 |
4,345 |
6,409 |
|
Cavan |
268,510 |
268,000 |
248,000 |
234,000 |
6,177 |
8,878 |
|
Clare |
329,501 |
329,000 |
313,000 |
304,000 |
8,905 |
13,871 |
|
Cork City |
333,832 |
333,000 |
308,000 |
299,000 |
6,042 |
8,978 |
|
Cork County |
482,905 |
482,000 |
482,000 |
482,000 |
34,146 |
46,988 |
|
Donegal |
370,369 |
370,000 |
363,000 |
363,000 |
12,727 |
19,463 |
|
Dublin City |
790,390 |
790,000 |
774,000 |
774,000 |
30,250 |
39,707 |
|
Dublin - Dun Laoghaire Rathdown |
405,719 |
405,000 |
385,000 |
373,000 |
13,155 |
19,284 |
|
Dublin - Fingal |
469,537 |
469,000 |
460,000 |
460,000 |
26,708 |
33,076 |
|
Dublin - South Dublin |
482,905 |
482,000 |
472,000 |
472,000 |
23,043 |
31,260 |
|
Galway City & County |
463,750 |
463,000 |
454,000 |
454,000 |
18,960 |
27,009 |
|
Kerry |
365,913 |
365,000 |
354,000 |
347,000 |
10,025 |
15,326 |
|
Kildare |
405,719 |
405,000 |
393,000 |
385,000 |
18,914 |
26,800 |
|
Kilkenny |
277,117 |
277,000 |
263,000 |
255,000 |
7,501 |
10,962 |
|
Laois |
264,233 |
264,000 |
244,000 |
230,000 |
7,538 |
10,200 |
|
Leitrim |
249,429 |
249,000 |
227,000 |
209,000 |
2,456 |
3,602 |
|
Limerick City |
261,196 |
261,000 |
241,000 |
227,000 |
3,719 |
5,135 |
|
Limerick County |
365,913 |
365,000 |
338,000 |
319,000 |
10,475 |
14,716 |
|
Longford |
249,753 |
249,000 |
227,000 |
209,000 |
3,241 |
4,780 |
|
Louth |
329,502 |
329,000 |
313,000 |
304,000 |
10,411 |
14,935 |
|
Mayo |
329,017 |
329,000 |
319,000 |
313,000 |
9,199 |
14,531 |
|
Meath |
401,264 |
401,000 |
389,000 |
381,000 |
17,502 |
23,774 |
|
Monaghan |
268,187 |
268,000 |
248,000 |
234,000 |
4,929 |
6,875 |
|
Offaly |
277,117 |
277,000 |
256,000 |
241,000 |
6,239 |
9,380 |
|
Roscommon |
268,511 |
268,000 |
248,000 |
234,000 |
4,642 |
7,222 |
|
Sligo |
268,510 |
268,000 |
248,000 |
234,000 |
4,594 |
6,795 |
|
Tipperary North |
268,511 |
268,000 |
248,000 |
234,000 |
5,401 |
8,140 |
|
Tipperary South |
281,573 |
281,000 |
260,000 |
245,000 |
6,546 |
9,826 |
|
Waterford City |
268,510 |
268,000 |
244,000 |
224,000 |
3,345 |
4,762 |
|
Waterford County |
268,511 |
268,000 |
248,000 |
234,000 |
5,299 |
8,066 |
|
Westmeath |
277,226 |
277,000 |
256,000 |
241,000 |
6,882 |
10,111 |
|
Wexford |
370,369 |
370,000 |
359,000 |
352,000 |
11,539 |
17,405 |
|
Wicklow |
333,958 |
334,000 |
317,000 |
307,000 |
11,474 |
16,001 |
|
Total |
€11,315,967 |
€11,300,000 |
€10,743,000 |
€10,398,000 |
- |
- |
805. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs with regard to inspections of early childcare providers, the current number of inspectors, the geographic location of each inspector, the size of the child population they serve and the annual cost of inspections; if he will he provide in tabular form a breakdown of the number of inspections completed for each of the past ten years together with the name of the childcare providers, their locations and the number of children they cater for. [32610/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs these are service matters, I have asked the Child and Family Agency to respond directly to the Deputy with the most up-to-date information.
806. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of tenders issued and the number brought to contract and agreed for residential placements for children in 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014; if he will list all such contracts; if any contracts have been agreed but not yet paid and if so, the reason this may happen; if any contracts have been agreed but the residential units in question have not been occupied yet; if so, which ones and the amount that has been paid in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32611/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have requested the information from the Child and Family Agency and I will forward this to the Deputy when it becomes available.
807. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when he will publish the 2013 independent rapporteur report; if recommendations within will be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32645/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraDr. Geoffrey Shannon, Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, has submitted his report in relation to 2013. While the report was submitted to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, the Report’s recommendations relate to a number of Departments and Agencies.
My Department is currently considering the 2013 report and, as in previous years, it has also been circulated to all relevant Departments, for information. I anticipate that it will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas, and published in the near future.
It is a matter for individual Departments to take the appropriate action on any recommendation relevant to its work. Where recommendations are proper to the DCYA they form part of the process of policy development and, if appropriate, inform the usual business planning processes.
808. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children in care; the number who do not have an allocated social worker; the number that have either an annual or bi annual review of their care plan; the length of time children have to wait for a referral; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32646/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraStatutory responsibility for the delivery of child welfare and protection services rests with the Child and Family Agency, which is the appropriate body to receive all reports of concerns relating to a child. The HSE had statutory responsibility for this service until the Agency was established on 1 January 2014. Reports of concerns (referrals) relate to a child's welfare or where there are concern of child abuse (i.e. physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse or neglect).
Under the Child Care Regulations 1995, each child is required to have an allocated social whose statutory duties include-
- the preparation and review of the care plan,
- finding appropriate placements for and in consultation with the child,
- consideration of the wishes of the child and family including contact with parent(s), siblings and extended family,
- addressing education placement and health needs of the child,
- visits to placements to ensure that it is meeting the child’s needs,
- meeting with child,
- working with child, their family, carer(s) and other significant persons and professionals with a view to planning the child’s future, and
- keeping a record /medical assessment.
The Agency compiles monthly performance reports which include statistics in relation to children in care. These reports are published on the Agencies website (http://www.tusla.ie/data-figures). The latest information from the Agency shows in April 2014, that of the 6,492 children in care, 93% or 6023 children had an allocated social worker. This is a slight improvement to April 2013 when 92% of the 6,421 children in care had an allocated social worker (5,932).
Where a child does not have an allocated social worker, their case is managed by the social work department, usually by a duty social worker. Unallocated cases are often cases where a child has just come into care and is awaiting allocation of a social worker or where a child is in a very stable fostering placement, provided perhaps, by a relative. Maternity leave, sick leave and movement of staff within the service can result in a case being unallocated for a short period of time. Cases that are unallocated are closely monitored, supported and managed by the duty social work team under the supervision of the principal social worker. Cases are subject to ongoing review and where appropriate, the level and nature of the support being provided will change, depending on the needs of the child.
Under the Child Care Regulations 1995, each child is also required to have an up-to-date Care Plan, whereby the Agency is required to prepare a plan which specifies:
- the aims and objectives of the placement;
- the support to be offered to the child,
- the supports to be offered to the centre or foster parents as appropriate and the parents of the child by the health board;
- arrangements for access to the child by a parent or other named person;
- arrangements for review of the plan.
The plan should be prepared either before the child is placed, or as soon as practicable after placement and based on consultation with the child and his or her family. Care plans are reviewed in accordance with the Regulations. While the Agency has advised that data is not collected regarding annual or biannual review plans, the Agency does publish information in relation to up to date care plans. The Agency had advised that 90% of the 6,492 children in care in April 2014 (5,868) had an up to date written care plan. This is an improvement on April 2013 when 88% of children in care had an up to date plan.
Child Protection
In 2013, the HSE received 19,390 referrals (reports) of child abuse and this figure can be further broken down by abuse category:
|
Number and % of referrals of Child Abuse: Physical Abuse |
Number and % referrals of Child Abuse: Emotional Abuse |
Number and % of referrals of Child Abuse: Sexual Abuse |
Number and % of referrals of Child Abuse: Neglect |
|
4,320 |
5,273 |
3,376 |
6,421 |
|
22% |
27% |
17% |
33% |
Of the 19,390 referrals, 12,262 (63%) received a preliminary enquiry that took place within 24 hours of receipt of the referral. It should be noted that this figure represents a percentage of all referrals received and that there may be multiple referrals for individual children. Of the 19,390 referrals received in 2013, 18,743 (97%) preliminary enquiries were held in line with the national guidance Children First. Of the 18,743 preliminary enquiries held during 2013 nationally, 11,543 (62%) required an initial assessment following the preliminary enquiry. Nationally 2,031 (18%) of the initial assessments required following a preliminary enquiry (11,543) were completed within 21 days of receipt of the referral of child abuse.
Child Welfare
In 2013, the HSE received 22,119 referrals (reports) of a child welfare concern. Of these, 57% (12,661) received a response within 24 hours of receipt of referral (reports) in the form of a preliminary enquiry. As above, there may be multiple referrals for individual children. In total, 93% of child welfare referrals were subject to a preliminary enquiry (20,516). Where appropriate, an initial assessment in undertaken and 16% of these (9,465) were completed within 21 days of receipt of referral. Nationally 1,561 (16%) of the initial assessments required following a preliminary enquiry (9,465) were completed within 21 days of the receipt of the referral.
809. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress that has been made in streamlining the significant excess spent on the legal services for GAL; and if he will confirm the expenditure in this area for the past three years. [32647/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn public law proceedings, under the Child Care Act 1991, a guardian ad litem may be appointed by a Court where the Court considers this necessary in the interests of the child and in the interests of justice. Provision for such services in private family law proceedings is a matter for the Department of Justice and Equality.
Responsibility for guardian ad litem payments in child care proceedings transferred from the HSE to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, with effect from its establishment on 1st January 2014. The Agency does not procure or manage provision of these services and it is the Courts which make such appointments and to whom guardians ad litem report in an independent capacity.
My Department, in conjunction with the Department of Justice and Equality, continues to actively examine all aspects of service provision, including the matter of legal representation for guardians ad litem, with a view to the introduction of regulated and sustainable provision in this area for public and private law proceedings. The aim is to bring forward the necessary reform proposals as soon as possible.
Total full-year expenditure figures available to my Department in relation to GAL services in child care proceedings are as follows:
|
Year |
GAL Costs |
GAL Legal |
Total |
|
2013 |
€7,178,045 |
€4,859,064 |
€12,037,109 |
|
2012 |
€9,832,716 |
€3,968,985 |
€13,801,701 |
810. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the recent developments his Department made in relation to provision of out of hours social work services. [32648/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Child and Family Agency provides a range of services aimed at addressing emergency situations in the area of child welfare and protection. In the main, these emergency situations arise out of hours.
At present, out-of-hours emergency services for children at risk in the greater Dublin area are provided by the Child and Family Agency through the Crisis Intervention Service (CIS). The remit of the service is to respond to crisis situations in which a child or young person requires immediate placement either due to child protection concerns or accommodation issues. The service is delivered by the Child and Family Agency social work service.
Outside the greater Dublin area, a more limited Emergency Place of Safety Service (EPSS) is provided for the Agency under a commercial arrangement by Five Rivers Ireland. Under Section 12 of the Child Care Act, 1991, a member of An Garda Síochána may remove a child to a place of safety where they have reasonable grounds for believing that there is an immediate risk to the health or welfare of a child. Under the EPSS, An Garda Síochána can access an emergency placement for such children found to be at risk out of hours. The child is placed in a family setting until the following working day, when the local social work service assumes responsibility for the case. The intention is to expand this service so that An Garda Síochána can consult with a social worker out of hours. This is presently not the case outside the greater Dublin area.
Provision for the development of the service was included in the 2014 Letter of Determination and Performance Statement which issued from my Department to the Child and Family Agency in December last. Proposals have since been developed by the Agency for implementation of this key reform.
In preparation for the expansion of the service, Emergency Out-of-Hours Pilot projects were put in place in Cork and Donegal during 2011 to help assess the demand for a national service. These pilots have since been externally evaluated by the School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College, Dublin. The evaluation concluded that the pilots demonstrate the clear potential for a National Out-of-Hours service and that, while usage might be low, it would be an important addition to the range of child welfare and protection services in Ireland.
Subject to a National Protocol this service will include the following components:-
1. The service will operate on the same basis as the existing Crisis Intervention Service in the greater Dublin area;
2. The service will be coordinated through a national Call Centre at the Crisis Intervention Service and all Garda stations will access the service by calling the national Call Centre;
3. Staff on Emergency Out-of-Hours Service duty will provide advice and consultation to the Garda Síochána to assist in their determination as to the needs of the child, by telephone and on call out as required;
4. Where a staff call out is required, the staff member on duty will accompany a member of the Garda Síochána;
Consideration of the proposal by the Department and the Agency will be concluded and it is expected that the service will be put in place by year end, in line with the Agency’s 2014 Business Plan.
811. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the children first legislation will go through all stages in the Oireachtas and be signed into law. [32649/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Children First Bill, 2014, which will put elements of the Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2011) on a statutory footing was published in April. It has completed second stage in the Dáil, and the remaining stages will be scheduled after the summer recess.
The introduction of this legislation is in line with a key Programme for Government commitment, which will be fulfilled. The timing of the commencement of the legislation will take cognisance of the fact that the various sectors which will have statutory obligations imposed on them by the legislation will need adequate time to prepare for implementation. Through the auspices of the Children First Interdepartmental Group, my Department is continuing to liaise with relevant Departments and Agencies regarding the preparations which each sector is undertaking in order to ensure that their statutory requirements under the legislation will be implemented.
In parallel to the legislative process, my officials have commenced an exercise to revise and update the existing Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2011). This is to ensure that the Guidance, which will continue as the basis for all citizens to report concerns, reflects the new legislative obligations and provides, in one place, a complete reference resource for individuals and organisations. This will provide clarity and ensure consistency between the proposed legislation and the existing non-statutory obligations which will continue to operate administratively for all sectors of society.
The Children First legislation, once enacted and commenced, will represent an important and necessary addition to the child welfare and protection system.
812. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on the availability of foster parents for persons who end up in the care system; and the actions the Government are taking in this regard. [32650/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have requested the information from the Child and Family Agency and I will forward this to the Deputy when it becomes available.
813. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his Department's budget for early intervention scheme in tabular form for the past three years. [32651/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Prevention and Early Intervention Programme was co-funded during 2007-2013 by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) and Atlantic Philanthropies (AP), to examine innovative and integrated ways to improve outcomes for children. Total funding of €36m was made available to the programme. It supported initiatives in three sites in Tallaght, Ballymun and Darndale. The three former PEIP sites have transitioned to the Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme.
The Area-Based Childhood (ABC) Programme (2013-16) builds on and continuing the work of the Prevention and Early Intervention Programme. The initiative reflects the Programme for Government commitment to adopt an area-based approach to child poverty in co-operation with philanthropic partners, drawing upon best international practice and existing services, to break the cycle of child poverty where it is most deeply entrenched.
Atlantic Philanthropy is co-funding this Initiative. This will mean that the total amount of funding available in 2013-2016 will be €29.7m.
On 27 November 2013, the Department of Children and the Office of the Tánaiste announced that an additional nine areas have been selected to enter the design stage of the Area-Based Childhood (ABC) Programme 2013-2016 in line with the Programme for Government commitment above.
The following table records the level of expenditure for PEIP in 2012 and 2013 which were the final years of this programme. It also records the amount spent on the ABC Programme in 2013 and its budget for 2014.
|
- |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
|
- |
Expenditure |
Expenditure |
Budget |
|
Prevention and Early Intervention Programme (PEIP) |
€1.945m |
€0.8m |
0 |
|
Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme |
0 |
€2.45m |
€4.0m |
814. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when he will bring forward the new adoption legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32652/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra815. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when he will publish the Information and Tracing Bill. [32653/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is intended to proceed to finalise legislative proposals so that I may bring a general scheme and Heads of Bill on adoption information and tracing to the Government as soon as possible with a view to early publication. Subsequent consideration by the Oireachtas Health and Children Committee will allow the issues to be carefully teased out and the views of different interested parties on these important and sensitive matters to be fully considered. I look forward to advancing these important matters in association with the Oireachtas Health and Children Committee later this year.
As well as the information and tracing legislation, I am conscious that issues have arisen in relation to the operation of the Adoption Act, 2010, since its enactment. There are a number of general policy questions around the nature of our adoption regime and I consider it timely to consider a review of adoption. Given the range and complexity of the issues this requires scoping and preliminary examination after which decisions will be made on the extent and time scale for the review to see if proposals for legislative change emerge from this review or the nature of such proposals. Based upon the many domestic and international legal aspects to adoption the issue of further legislative development will certainly be considered. This review will inform future operational and legislative considerations regarding the Adoption Act, 2010.
For the present, my legislative priority in the area of adoption is the preparation of information and tracing legislation. In addition, my Department is also working closely with the Department of Justice and Equality on the Children and Family Relationships Bill, which it is proposed will contain measures in relation to guardianship and adoption by civil partners.
816. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will discuss with the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources proposals aimed at providing a modern legislative framework to tackle the acute problem of cyber bullying; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32654/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI share the member’s concerns and recognise the scale of our challenge is considerable: there are an ever increasing number of social media outlets and platforms to use them on. Research on the problem shows there are no simple answers and there is no magic solution to tackling this complex social issue.
The Minister of Communications established an Internet Content Governance Advisory Group under the chair of Dr. Brian O’Neil in December of last year to ensure our national policy represents best practice in offering the same online protections to our citizens as those available in the offline world.
The Group’s report was approved by Cabinet and published last month and makes several recommendations aimed at protecting children and young people without unduly limiting their opportunities and rights online. Along with changes to institutional, administrative and legal structures, the report makes four specific recommendations on cyberbullying aimed at providing stronger supports for tackling this issue through primary and post-primary curricula and additional training and awareness measures. With regard to the internet It is important to remember that there are many positive aspects about this , and that the best way forward for parents is to proactively engage with their children in their endeavours, to ensure that they are able to maximise their enjoyment of the internet in the safest possible manner.
Parents should discuss with their children the potential dangers that exist and encourage them to bring up any difficulties or problems with other users that they may be interacting with on the Internet. Parents should learn more about what their children are doing online and become familiar with the systems they use.
Many of the technologies that children use today have resources that can be used to help protect children from inappropriate or obscene content . Filtering , Blocking and Parental Control Systems are among some of the options available. Research relating to Ireland showed only a quarter of parents blocks or filters websites (28%) and/or tracks the websites visited by their children (24%).
In 2013 the Minister for Education and Science launched the Action Plan on Bullying Since the Action Plan was launched, two successful awareness raising initiatives have been rolled out. Internet Safety Day was held again on February 11th this year. As part of this, the information service for young people, SpunOut, had a major focus on internet safety issues including bullying through its website and social media channels which reach thousands of young people every day.
817. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the protocol in place between the Child and Family Agency and the Health Service Executive regarding the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and if it is still his Department's intention to bring CAMHS remit under the Child and Family Agency. [32655/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe statutory functions of the Child and Family Agency, established on 1 January 2014, include responsibility for child welfare and protection services formerly operated by the HSE; child and family-related services for which the HSE formerly had responsibility, including pre-school inspections and domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services; and services formerly provided by the Family Support Agency and the National Education and Welfare Board, which bodies were merged into the new Agency. The placing of such functions within the remit of the new Agency is in line with recommendations in the report of the Task Force on the Child and Family Support Agency. The Task Force made recommendations on a range of other services relevant to children and families, including child and adolescent mental health services.
The practical implications of the scale of organisational change being undertaken so far are such as to require that consideration of the Task Force's wider recommendations and, should it be considered appropriate, their implementation, take place according to a less immediate timescale. This will allow for more careful review and consideration in conjunction with relevant Departments, principally the Department of Health, as regards extending the service remit of the Agency.
A key policy objective for the Child and Family Agency is to ensure that the fundamental principles of co-operation and co-ordination in the development and delivery of services are in place. This objective is reflected and is underpinned through formal agreements with the Health Service Executive as follows:
- Joint Protocol for Inter-Agency collaboration between the HSE and the Child and Family Agency to promote the best interests of children and families. This protocol aims to ensure a consistent national approach to service delivery where the delivery of two or more services are involved in the same case.
- Memorandum of Understanding: Strategic Agreement between the Child and Family and the HSE.
These agreements safeguard ongoing access to specialist services such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
818. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will implement the recommendations of the recent internal audit in the provision of the early childhood care and education scheme; and if he will outline a timescale for same. [32657/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Internal Audit of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme was initiated by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs as part of a programme of Internal Audits to review all major expenditure programmes in the Department. A total of some €175 million is spent on the ECCE scheme annually in which some 68,000 children receive free pre-school care. Objective review and audit of such a significant scheme is integral to the assurance of financial control and achievement of value for money in the public sector. The Department is a new department and it is to be expected that it should properly examine all major programmes for which it has been given responsibility.
In response to all Department of Children and Youth Affairs Audit Report findings, a management action plan is put in place to ensure any issues identified are fully addressed. The action plan for the ECCE Internal Audit report is already being implemented and there is oversight of this process by the Department’s Audit Committee. This Audit Committee is made up of a majority of external members, including its chair.
Significant reform of Pobal’s operations in relation to this and other programmes administered on behalf of the Department was already underway prior to the Internal Audit and the findings of the Internal Audit have been incorporated into this change programme. Work is advanced in changing the fee structure between the Department and Pobal away from a percentage administration fee and to an agreed charge based upon full costing and external benchmarking. This is being undertaken across all programmes administered by Pobal on behalf of the Department and will be incorporated into a new three year Service Level Agreement. This will see Pobal funded for each activity on the basis of objective costs with the potential for cross-subsidy between different activities undertaken on behalf of the Department eliminated.
Pobal is implementing a project to improve the use of information technology in the operation of the ECCE programme. It is intended that this will provide the Department with greater access to real-time information and address a number of the findings of the Internal Audit.
820. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to tackle the issue of youth homelessness. [32660/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department commissioned the Centre for Effective Services (CES) to undertake a review of the implementation of the Youth Homelessness Strategy, 2001 to establish the extent that the strategy has been successful and to identify any blockages or challenges to its implementation. The report, published in July 2013, found that there have been significant improvements in the service response to homelessness of children (that is, not in the care of their parents) in the last 10 years. The range and standard of prevention services and services for children has improved over the past decade and this has contributed to a decrease in the number of children presenting to services as being homeless.
It should of course be noted that policy responsibility for homeless young people, insofar as it extends to my Department, relates to children under 18 and any child welfare and protection concerns that may arise in the context of the Child Care Act 1991. Young people who are homeless, either singly or as part of a family unit and not falling within this category are the responsibility of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and local authorities. Young people who were formerly in the care of the State and presently in receipt of aftercare services will, as part of this support, have their accommodation needs identified.
Children who present as being homeless to emergency services are taken into care. Such children are typically more challenging to care for as they may be out of school; have experienced neglect and serious family discord; problematic drug use; have mental health or learning difficulties. These children often wish to be only involved with peers and they may be less inclined to engage with social work services. Services need to provide early and flexible options to engage with these children and to support them beyond their 18th birthday.
Aftercare is the planning and support put in place to meet the needs of a young person who is leaving statutory care at 18 years of age, to assist him/her in making the transition to independent living. The children most vulnerable to homelessness as care leavers are those leaving residential care or short term foster care placements. Children, who come into care late, in their mid to late teens, may not have developed the relationships with staff or aftercare workers that helps them achieve positive outcomes. It is essential that these young people have an opportunity to develop a relationship with a dedicated aftercare worker who will work with them to identify their needs and ensure that services are in place to help provide them with the stability and support they need.
The Child and Family Agency has advised that they are in the process of establishing interagency aftercare committees at local level bringing together Local Authorities, HSE and other statutory and voluntary agencies. These committees will develop interagency wrap around aftercare plans for young people, particularly for those with complex needs, including housing requirements.
A protocol, developed by the Child and Family Agency and the County and City Managers’ Association, in relation to dealing with accommodation issues of young people leaving care, is nearing completion. When agreed and implemented, the protocol will see the relevant local authority housing representative attend aftercare planning meetings with social workers of the Agency in relation to those young people for whom social housing has been identified as the most appropriate form of accommodation support. This, it is hoped, will facilitate a more efficient service for those leaving care in obtaining social housing suitable to their needs.
Furthermore, as the Deputy will be aware, it has been decided to strengthen the legislative provisions regarding aftercare. This is in response to concerns that there was insufficient focus in this area and that such planning was not taking place on a properly structured and consistent basis.
The approach adopted is to impose a statutory duty on the Agency to prepare an aftercare plan for an eligible child or eligible young person. The aim is to create an explicit, as opposed to implicit, statement of the Agency’s duty to satisfy itself as to the child’s or young person’s need for assistance by preparing a plan that identifies those needs for aftercare supports. The draft provisions also clarify the range of agencies providing relevant services with which the Agency will cooperate in the development of the plan.
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, at its sitting on 1st April, considered the draft aftercare provisions. Following receipt of the Committee’s report, I will consider its content prior to refining the text of the provisions in conjunction with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel.
821. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the money provided for Tusla in 2014 is adequate; if the agency will requite a supplementary allocation of funds; if he will provide a breakdown of 2013 and 2014 expenditure to date of the agency by specific category; the salary and pension costs broken down by grade; the moneys spent on consultants broken down by specific contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32711/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe financial allocation for the Child and Family Agency in 2014, its first year of operation, was set at €609 million, including €7 million in capital funding. This included an additional revenue provision of €6.7 million (€12 million in a full year) to support the reform of Child Welfare and Protection Services by the Agency this year.
It is acknowledged that delivering the range of service required of the Agency, within this budget, is challenging. Notwithstanding the significant level of resources provided, certain areas of expenditure, such as legal costs, have in the past proven difficult to manage within the allocated budget. The Agency is implementing significant reform to seek to achieve greater value for money in such areas and the progress in this regard is subject to ongoing monitoring and review with my Department.
We will work closely with the Board and senior management of the Agency to ensure the provision within the significant resource provided, of high quality and responsive services to vulnerable children and families.
The Agency was formally established on a statutory basis with effect from 1st January 2014. Its Management Accounts show the following expenditure to the end of May 2014:
|
Expenditure |
€ '000 |
|
Pay |
92,220 |
|
Non Pay |
- |
|
- Foster Care and Other Allowances |
48,515 |
|
- Grants to Outside Agencies |
40,021 |
|
- Private Residential and Foster Care |
33,868 |
|
- Staff Travel |
2,988 |
|
- Legal |
14,186 |
|
- Other Non Pay Costs |
7,710 |
|
- Education Welfare Services |
914 |
|
- Family Support Services |
6,747 |
|
- School Completion Programme |
204 |
|
Income |
(717) |
|
Total |
246,656 |
The pay costs by category to the end of May 2014 are detailed as follows:
|
CFA Pay by Category |
May YTD |
|
Paramedical / Social Worker |
70,059,076 |
|
Management/Administration |
11,932,131 |
|
Support Services |
7,353,755 |
|
Educational Welfare Officers |
1,577,719 |
|
Nursing |
940,099 |
|
Superannuation Pay |
284,218 |
|
Maintenance Pay |
72,548 |
|
Total |
92,219,546 |
Finally, in respect of Consultants, the following table provides a breakdown of these costs:
|
Supplier |
Project |
Amount |
|
Creative Solutions |
Consultancy |
€30,000 |
|
Communique |
Consultancy |
€20,000 |
|
IBM |
Financial Project |
€95,311 |
|
IBM |
Payroll Project |
€50,000 |
|
SMX |
Financial project |
€20,000 |
|
Northgate Arinso |
Payroll project |
€43,050 |
|
Mazars |
Financial project |
€93,215 |
|
Creative Solutions |
Website Development |
€60,000 |
|
TOTAL |
€411,576 |
822. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide in tabular form a detailed breakdown of the name and number of Ministerial special advisers in his Department; their annual remuneration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32741/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra829. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide full details, including salary, of every appointment he has approved since coming into office of special advisers under his remit; the salary cap that is in place with respect to special adviser appointments; the number of appointments he has approved with salary in excess of the cap; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32890/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 822 and 829 together.
I currently have two special advisors appointed to me, both of whom have been placed on the Principal Officer Standard Scale in accordance with Department of Finance instructions on Ministerial appointments.
|
Special Adviser |
Point on Principal Officer Standard Scale |
Annual Remuneration |
|
Mark Costigan |
Max Point |
€87,258 |
|
Camille Loftus |
1st Point |
€75,647 |
823. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the gender quota targets for the boards of State bodies and agencies under their remit; the level reached to date; and their future plans to meet and maintain the targets. [32756/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI would like to inform the Deputy that since my Department was established in June 2011 to the present time, five non-commercial State agencies have been funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote, namely the Child and Family Agency, the Adoption Authority of Ireland, the Family Support Agency, the National Educational Welfare Board and the Ombudsman for Children. With effect from 1 January 2012, I have taken responsibility for the Children Detention Schools as provided in Part 10 of the Children Act 2001.
Apart from the Ombudsman for Children's Office which does not have a board, I am responsible for all board of management appointments.
In making my decisions on appointments to Boards, subject to the governing legislation, I will consider the most suitable persons for the positions available with due regard to the body or agency in question and its particular responsibilities and I will seek to ensure that the appropriate mix of skills and experience is in place to achieve the best result.
Since this Department's establishment, 48 persons have been appointed to those Boards of whom 29 were female. The proportion of women on the Boards of Management of State agencies under the Department of Children and Youth Affairs currently stands at 55.1%. Given this balanced gender ratio, I am satisfied with the number of women currently serving on State boards under my remit.
824. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his priorities for the remainder of his term in office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32771/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that I have just recently been appointed to this role. However, I can assure the Deputy that I will be giving full consideration, in conjunction with senior officials in my Department, to identifying my priorities for the remainder of my term of office. There is much work to be done and it is not without its challenges. Obviously, to deliver in full on our commitments in the Programme for Government is of key importance and, in that context, the following will form part of my key priorities.
I intend to enact the Children First Bill which is currently awaiting Committee Stage. I also hope to pass legislation to amend the Child Care Act 1991 in respect of aftercare.
I will continue to support the work of the recently-established Child and Family Agency, known as Tusla. This is a huge undertaking which will require continued commitment and dedication and detailed engagement with the Tusla board and management team.
I also hope to see the development of the National Children Detention Facilities completed. Funding for the new facilities was secured and work is well advanced. We will meet our Programme for Government commitment to end the practice of detaining children in prison facilities. Later in the year I intend to present a Bill to the Oireachtas to amend certain provisions of the Children Act 2001. This will provide for the merging of the three existing Children Detention Schools into a single legal entity, and will also address a number of legal and policy issues associated with managing all children under the age of 18 on that site.
I intend to launch Ireland’s first ever Early Years Strategy and policy on ‘Family Support and Parenting’, creating an innovative and dynamic blueprint for the future development of Ireland’s early years sector. I intend to continue quality improvements in early years and childcare services and to review existing targeted childcare supports. It is crucial that we deliver high standards and transparency in this area, and that all parents have confidence in our early years sector. Maintaining the free pre-school year is an on-going challenge but one I intend to meet.
In relation to adoption services, work is continuing on the Heads of Bill for the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill and I hope to be in a position to seek Government approval to publish the Heads of Bill as soon as possible. Once approved by Government, the Heads of Bill will be sent to the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children for its detailed consideration.
The establishment of a Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and related matters is a recent Government priority, and one I expect that will require a significant level of participation by my Department.
The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People was launched in April 2014. This is an innovative whole-of-Government approach to policies for children and young people. My Department has a diverse range of lead and co-ordination functions and I will do whatever I can at a political level to assist in the roll-out of the Framework.
The new Area Based Childhood programme was a key commitment of this Government aimed at tackling child poverty, building on and continuing the work of the Prevention and Early Intervention Programme. Over the coming months I expect to see a number of the approved projects become operational.
825. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide a copy of the briefing he has received upon entering office from his Department; if he will publish the briefing; and if so, when the briefing will be published. [32786/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can inform the Deputy that I have no difficulty in providing a copy of the briefing that I received on entering office in this Department or in publishing the same briefing, subject to any necessary redactions that might be appropriate and consistent with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Acts.
826. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to recruit staff when his Department was first announced; the number of new staff recruited; the number of vacancies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32808/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department was newly established in June 2011. It brought together functions and staff from the Departments of Health, Justice, Education and Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. When the amalgamation of all was complete in January 2012 the staffing complement in my Department was 132.19 whole time equivalents.
In accordance with the moratorium on Recruitment and Promotions in the Public Service introduced on 27th March 2009, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has the authority for the filling of some vacancies in the Public Service in exceptional circumstances. Accordingly, posts are only classified as a vacancy when sanction has been received from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. At the end of 2013 my Department received sanction to fill 4 Principal Officer posts, an Assistant Secretary post and a Director post.
At the end of June 2014 the whole time equivalent in my Department was 145.79. Increases occurred due to the appointment of 6 staff mentioned above, the return of 3 seconded staff from other bodies at the end of their secondment period and also the return of 2 staff from career break which commenced prior to June 2011. Between January 2012 and June 2014 a number of retirements took place. My Department has also recruited a number of temporary clerical officers for between 8 and 12 weeks over the summer period.
827. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if his Department is sufficiently funded to meet the service level agreement in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32809/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that the Deputy is enquiring if sufficient resources are at the disposal of my Department in 2014 to meet the cost of programmes and services including those where Service Level Agreements are in place.
The 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. This level of funding 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, including those where Service Level Agreements exist as well as a number of new policy measures that include:
- The establishment of the new Child and Family Agency which took effect on 1st 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 financial allocation to the Agency in 2014 amounts to €609 million, including €7 million in capital funding. 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. It is acknowledged that delivering the range of service required of the Agency, within this budget, is challenging. Notwithstanding the significant level of resource provided, certain areas of expenditure, such as legal costs, have in the past proven difficult to manage within the allocated budget. The Agency is implementing significant reform to seek to achieve greater value for money in such areas and the progress in this regard is subject to ongoing monitoring and review with my Department. We will work closely with the Board and senior management of the Agency to ensure the provision within the significant resource provided, of high quality and responsive services to vulnerable children and families.
- An additional €4 million to support implementation of the Pre-School 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 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 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 Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme which has a funding provision of €175 million. Some 4,300 pre-school 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.
More recently, a further €5 million in capital funding has been made available to my Department in the current year for childcare under the Phase 4 Infrastructure Stimulus which is being introduced by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. I am currently considering the best options for the use of this additional funding and will be making further announcements in this regard in due course.
828. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of interdepartmental meetings his officials have held with other Departments about services for children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32810/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department engages on an ongoing basis with other Departments with regard to services for children. Interdepartmental engagement takes place at a variety of levels ranging from day-to-day contact between my officials and counterparts in other Departments, up to high level interdepartmental groups addressing issues of national importance.
It is not feasible to quantify all meetings between officials at all levels given the number and scale of these formal and informal engagements. By way of example, the Deputy may wish to note that this Department has engaged with other Departments on the following matters:-
- Establishment of the Child and Family Agency
- Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children
- Draft legislation by this and other Departments
- The Area-Based Childhood (ABC) Programme
- The “Growing Up in Ireland” study
- Guardian ad Litem services
- National Strategy on Children and Young People’s Participation in Decision–Making
- The National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence
- Policy, legislation and service delivery for the children detention schools
- HIQA business plan/corporate plan
- Homelessness
- The Early Years Strategy
- Obesity
- School Attendance
This is by no means an exhaustive list. It serves to reflect our values as expressed in our Statement of Strategy that we will “collaborate and innovate across the organisation and with other departments, agencies and sectors to improve outcomes for children and young people, particularly those who are most vulnerable”.
The Deputy may also wish to note that Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014-2020, was launched on 16 April 2014 and it is the first overarching national policy framework comprehending the age ranges spanning children and young people (0 – 24 years). It represents a whole of Government approach comprising 163 commitments, runs from 2014 - 2020 and will accommodate a number of constituent strategies. The Framework sets out and centralises common outcomes, it captures policy commitments, prioritises key transformational goals necessitating action and aims to ensure an innovative and effective way of working. The document also identifies Departmental leaders and stakeholders with regard to those commitments and I expect that, as such, it will require and generate a considerable number of meetings and discussions. As such it provides a roadmap for future interdepartmental engagement with regard to services for children and young people.
