Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 347: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if there will be a public consultation process as part of the development of the national early years strategy; and the format any public consultation will take. [22604/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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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. I intend that 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 policy framework will allow an opportunity to address emerging issues affecting children and young people such as the impact of new technologies, media and consumerism. It also provides an important opportunity for cross departmental collaboration to promote the well being of children and young people and it will provide a fresh impetus to a whole-of-government approach on issues such as child poverty and healthy lifestyles.

The high-level policy framework will also facilitate the preparation of a number of more detailed strategies including the first-ever National Early Years Strategy which will follow later this year.

I am keen to ensure that the new policy framework will be informed by the views of children themselves as well the experience and expertise of a wide range of stakeholders in matters of interest to children and young people. The new policy framework will be informed by the results of a consultation, which I launched in 2011, in which almost 67,000 children and young people throughout the country participated, as well as 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.

Plans are being finalised in my Department for a further strand of public consultation to capture the views of a wide range of other stakeholders. It is envisaged that the consultation arrangement will be in place shortly Easter.

The Early Years Strategy will be developed during 2012 and will cover a range of issues affecting children in their first years of life. In addition to the public consultation referred to above, there will be a focused consultation with key stakeholders later this year in relation to Early Years.