Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Perhaps the witnesses could confirm the level of engagement their organisations have had with the Department regarding the establishment of the new agency.

A recurring theme about which each witness this morning has spoken is the need for early intervention and support for families. It is important that families be supported at an early stage to ensure that vulnerable families do not end up in the care system. When one hears of €1 yielding a payoff of €29, it is a compelling argument to ensure that adequate resources are put in place at the earliest stages.

On the subject of proven programmes, someone referred to the Big Brother Big Sister programme, which obviously has tangible benefits and rewards. At a time of scarce resources, are there overlaps between the agencies? Do a number of agencies provide similar programmes where it might be better to streamline them in the future? The witnesses might respond on this point. As for family resource centres and their work, I used to be on the board of the local family resource centre in my own community and am familiar with its good work. As Mr. Packie Kelly noted, no one is stigmatised on going in the door because the centres provide such a myriad of services that no one knows the purpose of one's visit and for all that anyone else knows, one could be going in to have a letter photocopied, which is to be welcomed.

However, to revert to the establishment of the child and family support agency, members must ask Gordon Jeyes two questions when he appears before the joint committee after the witnesses. The first pertains to the allocation of resources to ensure they are properly allocated, particularly to earlier intervention and prevention methods. Second, from the witnesses' remarks today, it appears as though the child and adolescent mental health service will not come under the remit of the new agency and members must try to ascertain the rationale and reasoning behind what to me constitutes a regressive step. Historical reports will show that children who have mental health issues end up in the care system. It would be very important and makes sense to have this critical service held under the remit of the new agency. This is the reason I make the point that when the agency is being established, it is important to get it right from day one. As for the role of public health nurses, I did not realise that legally, they are obliged to visit a newborn baby five times in the first two years. They really are the people who can detect the early warning signs if a problem exists in a particular household. As Oireachtas Members and personally, as spokesperson for my party, when members meet Gordon Jeyes in the next segment of this meeting, it will be their first opportunity to engage with him on the establishment of this agency.