Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 185: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason that parliamentary questions to her Department seeking her views on children's issues are regularly transferred to other Departments (details supplied); if she accepts that, as Minister for children, she has a responsibility to share her views on these matters and not to pass the buck to other Departments; her views on whether this pattern demonstrates that children's issues are given short shrift by her Department and that this Government needs a more dedicated, integrated approach to children's concerns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8890/06]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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This Government is committed to addressing the needs of children and to placing children's issues at the heart of Government. This commitment is evident in the establishment of the social services inspectorate, the former national children's office and more recently the Office of the Minister for Children.

The office of the Minister of State with responsibility for children places the interests of children at the heart of Government and builds on the successes already achieved in the context of the national children's strategy. The responsibilities of the new office within the Department of Health and Children comprise the following functions: the equal opportunities childcare programme — transferred from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform; the programmes and activities of the national children's office; and policy and legislative work on child welfare and protection — Department of Health and Children.

The new youth justice service of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the early years education functions of the Department of Education and Science will be co-located at the new office. However, these Departments will retain responsibility for these areas.

The purpose of bringing the various responsibilities together is to maximise the development and co-ordination of policies for children and young persons at the highest level.

As Minister of State with responsibility for children with delegated responsibilities in the Departments of Health and Children, Education and Science and Justice, Equality and Law Reform, I attend Government meetings. This gives a strong voice for the interests of children and young persons at Cabinet level.

One of the key strengths of the former national children's office has been its cross-cutting functions, which allowed it to work with other agencies in an innovative way. The new structure allows this work to be continued with a renewed focus in the context of a more comprehensive strategic framework and simpler administrative arrangements.

Under the new arrangements, Departments other than the Department of Health and Children continue to have responsibility for issues relating to children within their remit, such as those raised in the parliamentary questions referred to by the Deputy. Question No. 1195 of 25 January 2006, related to intercountry police/Garda vetting issues and was therefore a matter for the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

Question No. 182 of 1 December 2005, which concerned family reunification procedures, was also a matter for the Department of Justice Equality and Law Reform. Both of those questions were transferred to that Department and answered by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

Question No. 436 of 28 February concerned a report by the Equality Authority and the National Youth Council of Ireland. This was a matter for the Department of Education and Science and was transferred to that Department and was answered by the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science with responsibility for youth affairs.

The foregoing demonstrates that children's services are being dealt with in a strategic manner and that an integrated approach is being taken to children's issues through the establishment of the office of the Minister of State with responsibility for children.