Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Katherine Zappone, for coming into the House to discuss this question.

I have received an email from Ms Aoife Hannan, the project manager with the Kilmainham Inchicore Network. It was sent on behalf of the child care professional group in Inchicore. The Minister has received a professional report that has been drawn up since February 2016. She knows what is contained in the report which was pulled together by representatives of primary schools, secondary school principals, child care and preschool services, the Garda, youth workers and community, social and psychological services in the area. Those who started to work on the report in February 2016 met officials from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in March this year. They emailed the first version of the report to the Department on 14 July, but they did not receive a reply. They subsequently emailed it again on 19 October. I ask the Minister to confirm that she has received the report and that she will reply to it. I am aware that those involved in producing the report were emailed by a member of staff in the Department this morning. They were told that the departmental response was ready and would issue shortly. That response is welcome and the individuals in question are delighted with it.

The Minister will agree that the report which is a review of evidence-based local and national statistical data paints a picture of the underlying demographic conditions in lower Inchicore and highlights the level of disadvantage in the area. It goes through the levels of child poverty, male and female unemployment, deprivation, lone parents and homeless children, Pobal reports, population increases, etc., all of which it breaks down into categories.

It depicts the disadvantaged situation in that area and the dire need for solutions to be put in place in the community. Section 2 discusses how a comparative study with other areas would help explain conditions and needs in the area and section 3 outlines the loss of services which has occurred in the area. Case studies to humanise the situation as experienced on the ground were outlined at the meeting with the Minister's officials on 29 March. Section 4 gives a review and solutions are offered in section 5. The last section is a brief summary and outlines the conclusions of the report. I would like to hear the Minister's reply to this. The group has asked me to extend an invitation to her to come into the community in response to the report so that she can actually see the area, get a feel for it and meet the different organisations involved in pulling this together.

See this speech in context