Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 37: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the date on which she will introduce legislation to place the Children First Guidelines on a statutory basis. [15120/12]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Question 43: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when she expects to place the Children First Guidelines on a statutory footing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15860/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 37 and 43 together.

In July 2011, I launched the revised Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children. The Guidance deals with the recognition, reporting and management of child safety concerns.

The revised guidance replaces the original version of Children First which was first published in 1999. The HSE as the statutory body responsible for promoting the welfare of children has in place a network of personnel to provide training, information and advice on the implementation of Children First. The HSE is currently providing a programme of information and training on the new Guidance across the country. This includes the publication of its Child Protection and Welfare Practice Handbook which will facilitate implementation of the Children First Guidance and provide for greater consistency in child protection practice throughout the HSE.

The Government has committed, as a priority, to the introduction of legislation to underpin Children First. My Department has been working intensively to ensure the policy that is being developed will serve to protect children. I have consulted with a high level group of experts in the field, and reviewed legislation and practice internationally.

The policy framework to implement the decision by Government to put 'Children First' on a statutory footing has been developed and draft heads have been provided to the Attorney General's office for her advices this week. Subject to her advice it is my intention to bring the General Scheme of the Bill to the Oireachtas Committee for Health and Children for its consideration.

The framework focusses on the promotion and wellbeing of children generally; the provision of safe services for children; cooperation amongst professionals and organisations where children are at risk of neglect and abuse and making key individuals responsible for reporting child abuse, in line with thresholds, that is known to them. The latter objective is aimed at removing ambivalence, reluctance or refusal by people and organisations in positions of trust and authority to report child abuse and cooperate with the relevant authorities. Work on developing the Heads of Bill is also underway.

The policy also takes account of the other complementary legislative proposals to strengthen child protection, namely, the National Vetting Bureau Bill and the Criminal Justice (Withholding Information on Crimes Against Children and Intellectually Disabled Persons) Bill. I have also taken the opportunity to consult informally with a number of experts in relation to the development of the policy in this area.

I intend that the legislation will reflect a broad based approach to compliance with obligations extending beyond reporting to one of safeguarding children at risk. The objective will be to ensure the greater protection of children by underpinning safe practices in organisations that provide care, education and other services to children.