Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 337: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the date on which she will establish the new child welfare and protection agency; if she will provide an update on the preliminary work which has been undertaken in relation to its establishment; the legal framework that will be necessary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16118/11]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to fundamental reform of the delivery of child protection services. A number of significant structural and legislative changes are key to effecting such reform. This includes the establishment of a new agency with dedicated responsibility for the delivery of child welfare and protection services, separate from the HSE.

Preliminary work on the establishment of the new child welfare and protection agency has been undertaken and this project will now be accelerated. Issues which are being progressed include the legislative and governance arrangements necessary to underpin the establishment and operation of the agency. My Department is also working closely with the National Director for Children and Families Service within the HSE on associated matters, including, inter alia, the need to disaggregate the existing resource base for children and family services from the HSE in advance of the establishment of the agency.