Ms Lara Hynes:

I thank the Cathaoirleach and the members of the committee for the opportunity to speak on the work of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth as it relates to the Commission for Future Generations Bill. I am the assistant secretary in the child policy and Tusla governance division with responsibility for child rights policy, the implementation of Young Ireland, the national policy framework for children and young people, parenting support policy and the governance of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.

The functions of the proposed commission under this Bill would cut across a number of policy areas across Government including that of children and young people and, in light of this, I will speak to ongoing work within the Department that aims to achieve good outcomes for children and young people both now in their present lives and in their future lives as adults.

Section 15 provides that the commission shall prepare a report providing advice and making recommendations to the Government in relation to the establishment of an office of ombudsman for future generations and advice or recommendations as it considers necessary or appropriate in respect of, among other things, an assessment of how public bodies can better safeguard the ability of future generations to meet future needs and take greater account of the long-term impact of such bodies practices and actions.

In Young Ireland: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has committed to a number of actions to embed the consideration of children and young people in decision-making across government. These are referred to collectively as the enabling environment because they involve changes at a systemic level to place their rights and well-being as a core part of policy and decision-making. They include the participation of children and young people in decision-making, the development of child and youth impact assessments, the development of child rights training for civil and public servants, child budgeting and the further development of data and research for children and young people.

Ensuring that children and young people are taken into account in decision-making is an important part of safeguarding their future needs and well-being. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth ensures that children and young people have a voice in the design, delivery and monitoring of Government policies, programmes and services, at national and local level, and is committed to ensuring the inclusion of seldom-heard children and young people in participation structures and initiatives.

The Bill also provides that the report would make recommendations on the collection of data and measurable parameters in relation to well-being, and the prediction of likely future trends in the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of the State. The Department undertakes and supports a range of research activities which help to anticipate and inform our response to the needs of future generations. Key activities include the Growing Up in Ireland study and other projects looking at the impact of ageing on different groups of the population. The Department is currently working to identify strategic research priorities to help ensure that evidence is available to inform future policy decisions.

The commission would also provide advice or recommendations as considered necessary with respect to: the progress of the overall well-being of society while adhering to the principle of sustainable development; how to ensure best practice among public bodies and Departments in their practices and actions to progress the well-being of society while adhering to the principle of sustainable development; and encouraging best practice among public bodies in taking steps to meet well-being goals and objectives in accordance with the principle of sustainable development. The Department contributes to the achievement of the sustainable development goals, through its current activities, particularly in the areas of poverty and inequality, through the provision of affordable, quality early childhood care and education and also through investment in youth services. I thank members for their time and welcome any questions they may have.