Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 58: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which she intends to put in place measures to prevent child abuse of a mental, physical or sexual nature; the degree to which she has had discussions with various groups in this context; if and when she expects to put in place the necessary protective measures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19788/11]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Government is committed to fundamental reform and transformation of the delivery of our children and family services. A number of significant structural and legislative changes are key to effecting such reform. This includes the establishment of a new agency with dedicated responsibility for the delivery of child welfare and protection services, separate from the HSE and reporting directly to my Department through its Chief Executive. Preliminary work on the establishment of the new agency has been undertaken and this will now be accelerated.

In line with the Programme for Government, I am also committed to the introduction of legislation to underpin Children First, the national guidance on the reporting and management of child welfare and protection concerns. The need for such legislation was also highlighted in the Implementation Plan prepared following the publication of the Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse. My Department has made much progress on this in recent weeks. I will be publishing, later this week, new Children First national guidance. I also hope to be in a position very shortly to outline the details of the proposed legislation, including the requirements attaching to the various agencies with regard to implementation.

It is my view that the new legislation needs to extend beyond the reporting of suspected abuse. We also need to emphasise the importance of multi-disciplinary, inter-agency working in the management of such concerns. Key to this is the sharing of information between agencies and disciplines in the best interests of children and the need for full co-operation to ensure the safeguarding of children.

I am attaching a particular importance to the need for this legislation and I would hope that the proposals which I will announce in this regard enjoy widespread support in the interests of protecting vulnerable children. I would hope that the implementation of both the revised Children First Guidance and the legislation which will underpin compliance will provide an opportunity to raise societal awareness of physical, sexual and emotional abuse and the need for everyone to play their part in protecting children. Since taking up office I have had the opportunity to meet and hold discussions with a wide range of representative groups on child welfare and protection issues.