Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 October 2016
678. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the person or body currently monitoring the number of recommendations made in the Ryan report that have yet to be implemented, for example action 65, a longitudinal study on outcomes for young persons leaving care, and action 69, a one-off life skills programme to ensure that these actions are delivered upon. [30910/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (The Ryan Report) was published in 2009. The Government accepted all of the recommendations of the Ryan Report, and developed an Implementation Plan which was overseen by a Monitoring Group which included representatives from a number of Departments and Agencies.
The Government approved the Fourth and final Report of the Monitoring Group which was laid before the Oireachtas in March 2015. The Report illustrated that the vast majority of the recommendations (i.e. 94 out of a total of 99), have been implemented or are being implemented on an ongoing basis. This includes Action 69 which the Deputy referred to. It should also be noted that the Monitoring Group, which authored the Report, welcomed the significant positive developments that had taken place over the lifetime of the Implementation Plan. While overall progress in relation to the actions in the Ryan Implementation Plan was good, it was noted that 5 of the 99 actions were not yet complete, as follows-
Action 1 - is proper to the Department of Education and Skills and states that a memorial should be erected to the survivors of institutional abuse.
Action 65 - a longitudinal study over ten years was to be undertaken which would follow young people who leave care, in order to map their transition into adulthood;
Action 75 - a professionally managed national archive was to be developed as a central repository for the records for all children in care; and
Action 76 - records created in non-statutory agencies should be secured in the national archive.
Actions 65, 75 and 76 are proper to Tusla.
Action 96 - is proper to the Courts Service and states that the Courts Service should conduct research into other jurisdictions that have best practice in place for the management of children and family services in the Court, with a view to introducing best practice in this area to this jurisdiction.
My predecessor, Minister Reilly, who chaired the Monitoring Group, undertook to monitor progress on the incomplete actions until they have been fully achieved. My Department, therefore, is currently monitoring these incomplete actions on an ongoing basis, and will continue to liaise with relevant Government colleagues and Tusla until full implementation of the outstanding actions is achieved.
The Deputy will be aware that I have secured an allocation of funding of €713m in 2017 for Tusla. This is an increase of €37m over the 2016 provision and may give Tusla the opportunity to progress a number of valuable projects, including the outstanding Ryan actions.
