David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 197: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the progress that has been made on the implementation of the national children's strategy; the amount of the strategy that has not yet been implemented; when this will be implemented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19183/05]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Annual progress reports on the national children's strategy, NCS, are compiled by the national children's office, NCO on the basis of detailed returns submitted by Departments against each of the actions in the strategy. These reports show the progress that has been made against each action. A copy of the 2002 and 2003 reports are available on the NCO website at www.nco.ie. The 2004 report is being finalised by the NCO at present, and will be submitted to the Cabinet committee on children at its July 2005 meeting. I will ask my Department to forward a copy to the Deputy as soon as it is available, which is expected to be end July 2005.

A further source of independent information on the implementation of the strategy is available from the national children's advisory council, NCAC, which has a role in independently monitoring implementation of the strategy. Its review of the 2002 progress report is available on the website www.ncac.ie. The council did not review the 2003 report as its term had expired at that time. It has since been reconstituted, and will be reviewing the 2004 report later this year.

As the progress reports demonstrate, steady progress is being made in implementing the national children's strategy. At the end of 2004 progress had been reported on almost all of the 141 actions in the strategy, although the extent of progress varies. It is important to note that the strategy is a ten year strategy and that 2005 marks the half way point. In particular, good progress has been made in relation to goals 1 and 2 of the strategy, that children will have a voice in matters that affect them, and that children's lives will be better understood. Some 124 of the 141 actions under the national children's strategy relate to improving supports and services for children. Good progress has been made on a number of issues, including substantial investment in child care, investment in educational disadvantage and resources for special needs in education, reduction of hospital waiting lists for children, the publication of a national play policy, investment in the sports capital programme, extension of the Garda vetting service and the implementation of the youth homelessness strategy.

I have recently decided to carry out a mid-term review of the national children's strategy. The purpose of the review will be to identify areas where progress has been made; identify the key issue or priorities over the remaining five years and raise awareness and give a new impetus to the strategy for the period 2006-10.

The National Children's Office will undertake this project. The assistance and input of a wide range of stakeholders, including the NCAC, will be integrated into the process.