Ms Mary McLoughlin:

It is on universal services to children and is quite widely available. Ms Hennessy might pick up on that point.

As for the inspections, they are conducted by public health nurses at present, but they are separate in that they do not carry out other public health nurse work. However, the last time the Department appeared before this committee, the Minister stated that the intention was to expand this. Public health nurses have huge strengths with regard to their understanding of the development of small children, but with other people, particularly with newer qualifications, one could have a variety of action. However, it is not that public health nurses are trying to do what would be traditional public health nurse work. A number of members raised the inter-agency issue, and while the agency is part of the response thereto, I acknowledge there still is a long way to go. The National Education Welfare Board is now part of the new Child and Family Agency, and hopefully these links will build up.

On parenting, the Minister has already stated that she will prepare a parenting and family support policy because it has come from a number of areas. One issue she has raised a number of times is that the State spends a great deal of money on parenting. Many people run parenting programmes supported by the State, some of which are evidence-based and some of which perhaps are less so. Consequently, there is an important issue with regard to making sure the parenting programmes supported by the State are the right ones for the parents.