Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 18: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide a list of all the residential units accommodating children who are in the care system during each of the past five years; the number of children they have accommodated each year; the number of times each of these units has been inspected by the Health Information and Quality Authority since its establishment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15107/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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There were 6,160 children in care at the end of December 2011, 443 of whom were in residential care. Children in residential care are placed in open residential centres run by either the HSE or private/voluntary providers in communities across the country. Typically between 3 and 5 young people live in the centre and are cared for by a qualified team of staff, attend at school and other activities similar to their peers. In the interests of privacy and safety, it would not be appropriate to list the names of the residential centres.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) is an independent agency responsible for driving quality, safety and accountability in residential services for children, older people and people with disabilities in Ireland. HIQA develops standards, monitors compliance with standards and carries out investigations where they believe there are reasonable grounds to do so. HIQA inspects children's residential centres under Section 69 of the Child Care Act, 1991.

I am advised by HIQA that there are 65 Health Service Executive (HSE) run residential centres in operation as at 16th March 2012. A total of 300 inspections of HSE children's residential centres were undertaken by HIQA since 15th May 2007. Reports of these inspections can be accessed at www.hiqa.ie.

The HSE is responsible for the registration and inspection of private or voluntary (non-statutory) run residential centres for children. The latest information available indicates that there were 81 non-statutory children residential centres in October 2009. Centres in the non-statutory sector open and close according to the demand for places from the HSE and I have requested up to date information from the HSE in relation to the number of non-statutory residential centres for children and I will forward this information once received.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 19: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has met the Department of Education and Skills in order to improve links and engagement between the early childhood care sector and the education system. [15100/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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A structured collaboration with my Department and the Department of Education and Skills has been put in place to ensure that policy developments through the continuum of the early childhood care and education sector and the formal education sector are developed within an overall strategic policy framework for children. The approach adopted is based on the co-location of a unit staffed by the Department of Education and Skills but physically located in my Department and reporting to Management Committees in both Departments through the appropriate line manager.

Further developments from an educational viewpoint will be considered as part of the preparation of Ireland's first Early Years Strategy. Work is under way in my Department on this new strategy.