Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the publication last week of the ombudsman's report on Children First. The report identifies many of the implementation difficulties highlighted in previous reviews of the Children First guidelines. It acknowledges that planned and substantial steps were taken to implement the guidelines but also that efforts to drive forward implementation were not always sustained and were not sufficient at particular times. The investigation found that insufficient efforts were made by the HSE to drive forward implementation of the guidelines and identified the failure of the former health boards to resolve problems arising with Children First, including variable implementation. The report is also critical of the degree of inter-agency oversight and the role of the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in this regard. The adverse findings focus in particular on the period 2003 to 2007.

The Children First guidelines have now been revised and take into account the findings of previous reviews and some comments put forward by the ombudsman. The newly revised guidelines will be supported by a detailed and comprehensive implementation framework which will apply across all sectors. This framework will include emphasis on robust implementation assurance systems including inspection and audits. I will be bringing proposals to Government shortly in this regard.

Successive Ministers have taken a series of initiatives since the publication of Children First in 1999 to improve the quality of children's lives and to protect children at risk. The legislative and policy framework has been significantly strengthened through the passage of major pieces of legislation, such as the Children Act 2001, the Ombudsman for Children Act 2002, the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2007, and the continuing passage of new legislation through the Oireachtas including the Adoption Bill 2009 and the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2009. Key policy initiatives include the agenda for children's services, the Government's implementation plan following the Ryan report, the Irish Youth Justice service strategy, the youth homelessness strategy, and the report of the working group on foster care.

Major developments have also taken place at service level including the establishment and expansion of the Social Services Inspectorate under HIQA; the development of national standards for children in the care of the State; the continued development of special care units for vulnerable children, expansion of the Garda vetting services; the establishment of the children's services committees; the creation of a new management position in the HSE at senior management level with responsibility for child and family social services; the development of standardised service delivery and business processes within the HSE; the development of a knowledge management strategy for child welfare and protection services; and the development of a sustainable and cost-effective solution for the provision of out-of-hours services for gardaí who remove children under section 12 of the Child Care Act 1991. The Government is committed to building on the existing legislative and policy framework and to taking any additional actions deemed necessary to ensure greater protection for children at risk.

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