Patrick Nulty (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 781: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans for public consultation in the development of the national children's strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41213/11]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My Department is developing a new strategy for children and young people. It will build on Our Children - Their Lives, Ireland's first children's strategy which was published in 2000 and it will cover the period from 2012 to 2017.

The new children and young people's policy framework is being developed in a holistic way to comprehend the continuum of the lifecourse from infancy, through early and middle childhood, to adolescence through to early adulthood, in keeping with my Department's responsibilities for children and young people. It will be the overarching framework under which policy and services for children and young people will be developed and implemented in the State.

The views of a wide range of interests including children themselves will shape the development of the children and young people's policy framework over the next six months. It will be informed by the results of a consultation, in 2011, in which almost 67,000 children and young people throughout the country participated; the advice of the National Children's Advisory Council which comprises representatives of a range of organisations, both statutory and non statutory that work with children and young people, and the views of the National Children's Strategy Implementation Group which includes nominees of Government departments and state agencies that develop policies and deliver services for children and young people.

It is envisaged that a further focused consultation will take place so that the new policy framework will be informed by the experience and expertise of other stakeholders in matters of interest to children and young people. The arrangements for this consultation are being worked out at present and details will be available in the coming weeks.