Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 166: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when she expects to receive the Health Service Executive review report on its child and family services for 2007; and the action she has taken to ensure it is published during the first half of 2008. [16192/08]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 169: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she or the Minister of State with responsibility for Children has received the Health Service Executive review report on its child and family services for 2006; if not, the action taken by either of them to force the HSE to comply with its obligation to produce an annual report on the aforesaid services; the date when the report will be published; and if the date is not known, the reason for same. [16196/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 166 and 169 together.

Under Section 8 of the Child Care Act, 1991, the HSE is obliged to prepare an annual report on the adequacy of the Child Care and Family Support Services and submit a copy to the Minister for Health and Children. The first year for which the HSE had responsibility for preparing the Section 8 Report was 2005. Previously this report was prepared by individual Health Boards.

The HSE have informed me that a working group was established in October 2005 to develop a national template for the HSE Section 8 Report. This template was finalised in April 2006 and the 2005 Report was subsequently produced.

The HSE have assured me that improved procedures are now in place to ensure more timely preparation of Section 8 Reports. In that regard the 2006 report is nearing completion, and the 2007 Report will be available in summer 2008. The Office of the Minister for Children will be working with the HSE to achieve this objective and to make the report even more informative.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 167: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she has received the Health Service Executive quarterly performance monitoring report on children's services for 1 January 2008 to 31 March 2008 for each HSE region on the number of notifications of child abuse or neglect, the number of assessments conducted following notification, the number of children on waiting lists following notification of child abuse or neglect and the average time spent on a waiting list for assessment following notification of child abuse or neglect; and if she will detail the information contained in the report. [16193/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I have been informed by the Health Service Executive that their 2008 National Service Plan commits them to developing from the end of Quarter 2 (i.e. starting 1st July, 2008) a means of collecting information on the following for each administrative area: a) number of notifications made of child abuse or neglect; b) number of assessments conducted following notifications; c) number of children on waiting lists for assessments following notification of child abuse or neglect; and d) average time spent on a waiting list for assessment following notification of child abuse or neglect.

Reporting against this information will be based on the phased implementation of standardised business processes through the Childcare Information System project.

Since the inception of the Office of the Minster for Children, there has been a significant build up in both the flow and quality of management information available. Key components of this information management include the 'Analysis of Child Care Interim Data Set' prepared annually by the HSE and the regular service plan monitoring reports submitted to my Department by the HSE. The further development of this information strategy is set to continue with the completion of the joint OMC/HSE Knowledge Management Policy and its subsequent implementation plan. This implementation will include a pilot scheme which will integrate the children service data sets into the HSE's award-winning innovative Health Atlas project.

All of these initiatives, if accompanied by planned commentary and analysis, will allow for much enhanced management of children's services by cross referencing a series of relevant data and research sources. It is anticipated that this capacity will begin to be available to HSE and OMC policy makers, managers and front line staff in 2009 in line with the requirements and approach of the OMC developed Agenda of Children Services, the overarching policy for children services in Ireland.