Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in the context of the forthcoming referendum on Children's rights, if she will outline her commitment to providing sufficient resources to ensure the imprescriptible rights of the child including health and education and the individualised nature of children’s needs are met; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42606/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The matter of resources for services to children will be considered by the Government in the context of the overall budgetary arrangements for 2013. While it is not open to me, in that context, to pre-empt decisions to be made by Government, I would point out that the Government continues to invest very significantly in services for children. It will continue this approach, to the greatest possible extent, in dealing with the serious financial challenges facing the country overall.

For example in budget 2012, I secured additional funding for HSE Child and Family Services, compared to 2011, and I secured additional funding to maintain the free pre school year in light of increased demand due to increased birth rates.