Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 172: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when the next progress report on the implementation of the national children's strategy will be published; and the reason that this has been delayed. [19646/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, the National Children's Strategy, published November 2000, is intended to bring a better focus and greater impact to Government activity in relation to children through stronger leadership and co-ordination.

The Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (OMCYA) has the lead role in monitoring the implementation of the National Children's Strategy. Monitoring mechanisms continue to evolve since the publication of the strategy in 2000. Monitoring takes the form of reports prepared for the National Children's Advisory Council (NCAC), regular updates on 'Towards 2016' commitments to the Social Partners, commitments under international conventions such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and other ad hoc reporting, as required. The establishment of the National Children's Strategy Implementation Group (NCSIG) is also relevant in this regard.

This Group, chaired by the OMCYA, will support the implementation of the National Children's Strategy as underpinned in the Social Partnership Agreement – 'Towards 2016'. The NCSIG will represent the national level implementation and monitoring structure that will support the multi-agency Children's Services Committees (CSCs) that are being established within each of the City/County Development Boards. It is also intended that the NCSIG will participate in the development of a second National Children's Strategy in the light of experience gained from the first Strategy.

The National Children's Advisory Council (NCAC) was initially established in May, 2001, as one of the new structures under the National Children's Strategy, 2000–2010. Its primary functions, among other things, as set out in the Strategy, include contributing to the monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the Strategy at national and local level.

A mid-term review of progress made on implementing the Strategy was carried out by the National Children's Advisory Council in 2006. This review indicated that, while there had been significant progress made on many aspects of the Strategy, a renewed impetus was required on implementing other areas.

Following the completion of this review, the Council expressed its opinion that the mechanisms and the reports generated were not sufficiently interactive to allow for a constructive debate on topics of importance. The Council was further of the view that a new means of engagement with Departments and Agencies was required in order to fully appreciate the scope of challenges and opportunities that were presenting.

In 2008, a new monitoring mechanism of the NCAC – a face-to-face dialogue on key issues with relevant Government Departments and Agencies – was introduced. Bilateral meetings were held on identified key themes with the Departments of Education and Science; Justice, Equality and Law Reform, and Social and Family Affairs. Details of these meetings are to be found in the Council's "End of Term 2005–2008" report, supplied to the Deputy.

The term of the most recent NCAC expired in mid-2008. I have approved, in principle, the re-constitution of the NCAC – subject to a small number of matters being resolved. I anticipate appointing a new Council shortly.