Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

On behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, I wish to respond to the issue raised by Deputies O'Connor and Crowe. It is nice to see constituency colleagues working together. This provides me with an opportunity to outline to this House our response to the launch of this ten year child care strategy for Tallaght west. The objective of the strategy, as the Deputies have outlined, is to improve children's health, safety, learning and achieving, and to increase their sense of community belonging. I welcome its goals and its aims.

At the research stage of this project, my colleague, Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Brian Lenihan, made some funding available to ensure that the valuable research continued. Given the research, planning and consultation, including consultation with children, that has gone into this project, it is clear that the strategy is based on a realistic picture of life for children in Tallaght west. It emphasises the need for co-operation across Departments and agencies, together with similar assistance and understanding from the local community and the local authority, South Dublin County Council.

The Taoiseach, in launching the ten year strategy, entitled A Place for Children: Tallaght West, a living document, on Monday last indicated that it points in the right directions. Despite the real progress that has been made in Ireland in recent years with increased investment, spending and planning, many children continue to experience poverty and disadvantage in their daily lives. The problems which lie behind this poverty and disadvantage are often complex and do not lend themselves to simple solutions. To address these problems, social policy must be based on a strategic approach and must target those in need. The Government has put a number of initiatives in place with the aim of improving children's lives, some of which I will outline.

As a Government designated geographic area of disadvantage, or RAPID area, it has been estimated that approximately €27 million was spent in 2004-05 by statutory bodies on children's services in the part of Tallaght covered by the strategy. The project recognises this, which is a substantial sum in the area concerned. The National Children's Office is in place to co-ordinate the implementation of the children's strategy, including consultation with children, and hearing their voices. The Ombudsman for Children provides an independent voice on their behalf.

Ireland is one of the first countries in the world to have a national policy on play, Ready, Steady, Play, which was launched by my colleague, Deputy Brian Lenihan. The Government wants to build more playgrounds and parks with spaces to play and to make playgrounds and play areas safer for children. Part of this can be done through direct provision from the Exchequer and part by good forward planning on the part of local authorities. The Government has put funding in place. In Tallaght west, grants of €72,000 each have been provided to Jobstown, Fettercairn and Killinarden for playgrounds under the RAPID scheme.

The provision of early childhood care and education services is identified as central to positive outcomes for children. The Government is reviewing options for future child care policy, taking account of the work of the high level working group on early childhood care and education and other reports on the issue. The National Children's Office was asked to prepare the high level working group report which was presented to the Cabinet Committee on Children last week.

Funding of over €10.6 million under the equal opportunities child care programme has been allocated to the Tallaght-Jobstown area since the beginning of the programme. School age child care is being addressed under the equal opportunities child care programme as well, under an initiative announced by my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, earlier this summer. The Health Service Executive is also involved in developing and supporting a number of child care and family support services in the Tallaght area and is represented on this project's consortium group.

Education is the key to young people reaching their full potential. It can provide them with the confidence to participate actively in society. Tackling educational disadvantage continues to be a key priority for the Government as reflected in the new action plan on educational disadvantage, delivering equality of opportunity in schools, launched by my colleague the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, last May. The new action plan aims to ensure that the educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged communities are prioritised and effectively addressed in a more targeted, coherent and integrated way.

Another priority for the Government is reform of the youth justice system. Young people are subject to many pressures. Drugs, alcohol and social disadvantage can lead to a cycle of poverty, anti-social behaviour and getting into trouble. The Government is working to identify those at risk as early as possible and build their capacity to become responsible citizens.

The Children Act 2001 provides us with unique and specific opportunities. Major principles enshrined in the Act include the need for early intervention, the provision of community alternatives to detention and the principle that custody must remain a measure of last resort. A review of the structures of our youth justice system is being finalised and the results will be brought to the Government shortly.

Those developments at national level are mirrored in the approach outlined in the childhood development initiative's ten-year strategy. The strategy will support steps already being taken to improve outcomes for children in this area and play an active role in seeking new solutions to emerging issues. As the Taoiseach stated at the launch, the strategy and its proposals will be considered by relevant officials from the Departments drawing on the involvement of many local agencies in its preparation.

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