Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for her question on what will be a landmark piece of research and data project. I was delighted to announce the project last week after receiving the support of the Government for its commencement. The project comprises a suite of research and data activities that will strengthen our understanding of the lives of children in care and adults who have been in care. This work will provide us with much-needed insights into their experiences and valuable evidence about their outcomes. The project, which is a key priority of mine, will inform the development of effective and responsive policies in my Department and services, but also across government, that best serve the needs of children and young people in the care of the State. It will encompass a ten-year longitudinal study of children transitioning from care, in line with the recommendations of the Ryan report, but will also include other bespoke studies on children in care to complement improved data systems. The project will be led by my Department, with Tusla as a key partner.

There are five basic elements to the project. First, there is the development and agreement of a project plan informed by meaningful consultation with stakeholders. We are starting that now. Second, there is ongoing development of the capacity of the national child care information system, NCCIS, in Tusla to track dynamically the individual pathways of children through care. Third, there will be a once-off study of a cohort of children who left care ten years ago in order that we can immediately get some understanding of young adults ten years after care. As I mentioned, there is the longitudinal study, starting with a cohort of children who are aged 16 and then engaging with them for the subsequent ten years of their lives, again looking at outcomes.

The project will facilitate further bespoke research studies on children in care and aftercare where more detailed information is needed about their circumstances. This will complement improved system data and also provide children in care with an opportunity to have their voices heard. Examples of this could be an examination of the reasons for some categories of children being over-represented in the care system.

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