Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 791: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the aims and objectives behind the children's service committees; the composition of the committees; whether each county is served by a dedicated committee; if these committees fall under the remit of the new Child and Family Support Agency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26257/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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My Department is leading an initiative to develop and implement a planning model for local interagency working to improve outcomes for children. This is known as the Working Together for Children initiative. The purpose of this initiative is to work towards better developmental outcomes for children through more effective integration of policies and services, in particular through the Children's Services Committees at local level.

Children's Services Committees bring together a diverse group of agencies in local county areas to engage in joint planning of services for children. These include representatives from the HSE, local authorities, An Garda Síochána, VECs, National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals, Irish Primary Principals Network, NEWB, and other organisations who provide services to children and young people. There are 10 in place with an additional 6 in the preparatory stage of set up.

My Department has developed a number of guidance supports for the Children's Services Committees to assist in their development. These include a toolkit which provides advice on the composition of a committee, membership, roles and information and guidance on how to develop a children and young people's plan for their area. A Governance Framework deals with matters such as national and local governance structures and reporting arrangements. The initiative is overseen by the National Children's Strategy Implementation Group which is responsible for developing Children's Services Committees as a national initiative and for providing guidance to the committees on issues that arise in relation to effective collaborative working at local level in support of children and young people's better outcomes. Information on the toolkit and other supports for the committees and the work of the National Children's Strategy Implementation Group is available on my department's website, www.dcya.gov.ie .

The nature of the relationship between the Children's Services Committees and the new Child and Family Support Agency is among the issues being considered by the Task Force on the Child and Family Support Agency.

I established the Task Force in September 2011 and it will advise my Department in regard to the necessary transition programme to establish a Child and Family Support Agency, and will base its work on best practice in child welfare, family support and public administration; consistent with the Government's public sector reform agenda. I look forward to receiving the report of their work, which will inform preparations for the new Agency, including the relationship between it and the Children's Services Committees.