Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes; that is perfect. I thank all the Deputies for their comments. I will begin by responding to Deputy Troy. I would like to inform the committee that the child and family agency Bill was cleared by the Cabinet this week. It is a very large Bill with over 100 heads. I have consulted Deputy Troy on the Bill and discussed it with him. I thank him for his support for the legislation. It is the single biggest piece of public sector reform that is being carried out by this Government. Approximately 4,000 staff are being transferred to a dedicated agency for children and families. It is in line with a commitment in the programme for Government. I am pleased to have delivered the legislation and I look forward to the Second Stage debate, which I hope to introduce in the House next week. Obviously, people will have an opportunity to consider the Bill in detail on Committee and Report Stages. I thank Deputies for the support they have given the Bill. The officials in the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and everybody who is involved in children's services have put a substantial amount of work into its development. As Deputies know, the legislation is coming forward now.

A shadow agency is in place with a new management team, for which I have received funding from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin. It is important to have good leadership in the new agency, which presents us with a new opportunity. It is also the first time we have had a top leadership that includes a post for quality assurance.

We will not resolve overnight the serious issues that have been raised over the decades about quality in the delivery of children's services. As Deputy Catherine Byrne noted, there is a process involved here and we are getting the foundations right. It was important to do detailed work on the Bill to ensure the foundations were strong. The legislation is now ready and I look forward to its passage through the Dáil and Seanad.

Deputy Catherine Byrne referred to the increasing numbers of people who are accessing family resource centres. This has clearly come about as a result of the socio-economic position, which has undoubtedly placed more pressure on families with the result that services of this nature are being used more. The feedback I have received from visiting many family resource centres is that they are busy and active in responding to new issues for families and providing them with support.

Deputy Troy asked about the new child and family agency. While there will be some reduction in funding, I assure the Deputy that family support will be a critical part of the new agency. What we mean when we use the term "reconfiguration" in this respect is that families will be referred to the family support side if they require family support and to the child protection side if they require child protection services. Assessment has become much sharper. Social workers inform me that the new model of assessment that has been introduced nationwide by Mr. Gordon Jeyes is delivering greater consistency. Previously, we did not have a consistent response to families. Family support is a critical part of this.

As members are aware, the board of the family support agency will no longer exist as the new agency develops. The board is an interim arrangement as we move towards the agency. I understand Norah Gibbons will shortly appear before the joint committee.