Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 28: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the date on which she will establish the new child welfare agency. [19878/11]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to fundamental reform and transformation of the delivery of our children and family 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 and reporting directly to my Department through its Chief Executive. Preliminary work on the establishment of the new agency has been undertaken and this will now be accelerated.

Among the key issues which are being progressed are 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 Family Services within the HSE on associated matters, including the need to disaggregate the existing resource base and organisational arrangements for children and family services from the HSE in advance of the establishment of the agency.

The onerous legal and operational responsibilities governing child welfare and protection services mean it is important that there is careful planning and preparation in the creation of the new agency and the assignment to it of operational responsibilities. While the precise final arrangements will take some time, I envisage transitional arrangements being put in place on a progressive basis to ensure the agency has the necessary skills, systems and structures in place to meet its responsibilities. My Department will be working very closely with the National Director for Children and Family Services and others in the HSE and beyond in the development of the new agency. As more detailed plans for the new agency are decided upon further information will be made available. I am very appreciative of the co-operation from the HSE to date in progressing this significant change project, one which will, in my view, create the basis for delivering better outcomes for children and families nationally.