Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if arising from the number of reports of child abuse received by her Department in the past year, she is satisfied that structures can be put in place to address such issues with particular reference to early intervention; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40879/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The issue raised by the Deputy is at the heart of the Government's programme of reform of children and family services. The need to realign existing services and to provide earlier intervention is accepted and was emphasised in the recent Report of the Task Force on the Child and Family Support Agency (CFSA). The Task Force emphasised the importance of identifying problems and providing supports at an early stage. It recommended that in addition to child welfare and protection services, the core services into the new CFSA must include a broad based range of primary prevention, early intervention, family support and therapeutic care and preventions.

The HSE National Director, Mr. Gordon Jeyes, is leading a programme of reform consistent with this objective in order to ensure that there is:

- a closer integration across family support, child protection, and child and adult mental heath services;

- better integration of services and information;

- a model of managing referrals to ensure rapid response to welfare as well as child protection concerns, known as the differential response model.

This work will continue and will be an important feature of the remit in the new Child and Family Support Agency when established in early 2013.