Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Troy for raising this issue and I am pleased to respond on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Fitzgerald. The Minister, who is the first such Minister at Cabinet level, is returning from Russia following discussions on the possibility of a bilateral agreement on inter-country adoption with the Russian Federation. I am disappointed with Deputy Troy's negativity regarding many issues relating to children and his questioning of the existence of the Department itself.

Members will be aware that the Children's Rights Alliance, CRA, is a coalition of more than 100 organisations working to secure the rights of children in Ireland by campaigning for the full implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The most recognised piece of stand-alone work in recent years has been the children's rights report card series, which examines the Government's performance or non-performance in respect of its own commitments to children in the areas of education, health, material well-being and safeguarding childhood. The CRA published its annual report card, Report Card 2013, on Monday last. This is the fifth edition of its annual report card series. Report Card 2013 evaluates the Government on its progress during 2012 in meeting its commitments to children as set out in the 2011 programme for Government. It is awarded an overall "C" grade. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs has positive working relationship with the CRA and the wider NGO body it represents. The CRA is represented on a number of committees relating to the work programme of the Department and the Government's wider programme of work for children and young people. The Department provided information to the CRA on many of the items that relate to its specific areas of responsibility and this is reflected in the final report.

Overall, the grades reflective of the work of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs are positive, such as an overall grade "B" for the activities covered by chapter 5, and in a number of cases demonstrate improvements on previous years. This is reflective of the priority attaching to this issue both in the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and across Government, as articulated in the programme for Government. Notably, the Government was awarded an "A" grade in respect of the children's referendum. I wish to thank Deputy Troy for his party's support on that matter. It had not been put to the people previously and one might wonder why.

I now wish to comment on some of the different areas referred to in the CRA report card that relate specifically to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The child and family support agency is at the heart of the Government's reform of child and family services. The Government has decided that child welfare and protection services will transfer from the Health Service Executive to this new agency. It has also decided that the services of the family support agency will similarly transfer. The establishment of a single agency incorporating key children's services will provide a focus for the major reforms already under way. The agency, upon establishment, will assume full statutory responsibility for a range of child and family services currently provided by three separate agencies; namely, the HSE, the family support agency and the National Educational Welfare Board.

Last July saw the publication of the report of the task force on the establishment of the child and family support agency. Following consideration of the task force's detailed recommendations, the Government in November approved the general scheme and heads of the Bill. Drafting of the legislation to establish the agency in line with the general scheme is at an advanced stage. This will be comprehensive legislation, providing as it does for subsuming functions from three separate agencies and assigning onerous responsibilities regarding the care and protection of children and the promotion of their welfare. Subject to finalisation and approval by Government, it is the Minister's intention to present the legislation to the Oireachtas during the current term. When established, the agency will constitute one of the largest public agencies in the State with staff of more than 4,000 employees and a budget of more than €550 million. It represents one the largest and most ambitious areas of public sector reform currently under way.

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