Jillian van Turnhout (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank each of the groups for attending to discuss an issue I look forward to us trying to get under a little more. While we all agree on the need for early intervention and prevention, the difficulty often concerns early acknowledgement. We do not intervene until much later in the cycle for the child. We all know there is a problem, but the question is whether the supports are available to allow for intervention. The issue of return on investment is very important in the context of early intervention in a child's life. Equally, we know that if we do not follow up early investment with investment at other stages in a child's life, the return on investment is hugely reduced. All too often, we focus on only one part of a child's life, not on the journey he or she undertakes.

There are difficulties with the area-based approach to tackling child poverty. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin referred to children living in rural areas where there was consistent poverty. It is not just a problem in urban areas. There are particularly vulnerable groups, including Traveller and migrant children and children in families which have been disproportionately affected by budget cuts, including children of lone parents or in other groupings. Part of me questions - I am being very upfront - the fact that each of the pilot schemes on which presentations were made adopted very different approaches and programmes. While there are positivities in this, there are also difficulties for us in trying to evaluate them. How do we decipher the numerous evaluations and move forward with a model? One model takes the area-based approach, but how is it to be replicated in places that will not benefit from being one of the chosen areas? This is where we need to create a more national policy. The approach set out will involve the Government seeking philanthropic partners, but is that realistic with the exit of Atlantic Philanthropies from the sector? I do not see other major philanthropic partners appearing. It may be that there will be philathropy at project or community level, but the question arises as to whether a major philanthropic partner will emerge.

While the work the groups before us are doing is tremendous, the question arises as to how we can replicate it and avoid a territorial approach which is about each area looking to ensure its own survival. At our hearings on Tuesday we heard that there were too many pilot programmes. The issue is to look at the next step and determine how we can mainstream and widen programmes to ensure we get a return on investment throughout a child's life. We know about the life chances of children and teenagers living in poverty. It is important to look at the very early years and most times when people think of early intervention, they think of toddlers. I do not think of toddlers but of intervention throughout a child's life.