Written answers

Thursday, 20 December 2012

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Child and Family Support Agency

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the concerns of psychologists regarding her proposals to move all child psychology services to the child and family support agency; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that most referrals to child psychology services come through primary care staff; if an impact analysis has been carried out to assess the consequences for children who require multi-disciplinary support such as is currently provided through the multi-disciplinary primary care team model [57698/12]

Photo of Frances FitzgeraldFrances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Government has given approval to the drafting of a Bill to establish the Child and Family Support Agency. Work on the preparation of the legislation is proceeding as a priority and the intention is that the Agency will be established in early 2013. In order to inform the content of the legislation the Government has decided that upon establishment the Child and Family Support Agency will have responsibility for a range of services. This includes the full range of child welfare and protection services currently operated by the HSE including family support and alternative care services. Due to its particular relevance, it has also been decided to include domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services within the Agency's responsibilities. The Government has further decided that the new Agency will assume responsibility for the functions of both the Family Support Agency and the National Educational Welfare Board. These two organisations currently operate under the aegis of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The draft legislation will also provide for the provision of community-based psychology services to children and families by the Agency. It is envisaged that this will involve the transfer of certain psychology staff currently employed by the HSE who are operating within a community setting.

The Government's consideration of these matters was informed, inter alia, by the content and recommendations of the Report of the Task Force on the Child and Family Support Agency which I published in July of this year. The Task Force considered that the Agency needs to be as broadly based as possible and should include those services that might, in the first instance, help prevent problems arising for a family, that would identify problems and provide supports at an early stage and that would assist children and families in managing serious problems requiring specialised interventions beyond their own resources. Therefore, in addition to child welfare and protection services the Task Force considered that the core services of the new Agency must include a broad based range of universal and targeted services with an emphasis on prevention, early intervention, family support and therapeutic care interventions.

Arising from the Government's consideration and decision with regard to the functions of the new Agency it has been agreed by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the Department of Health that an impact analysis will be jointly developed of the proposed future arrangements for the provision of the community psychology service as it relates to children and family services covered by the Child and Family Support Agency and to services provided by the HSE. This work will be undertaken as a priority.

I recently met with representatives from the Heads of the Psychology Services Ireland and with a delegation from the IMPACT trade union to discuss issues relating to the future governance and organisational arrangements for the provision of community based psychology services. Our shared objective is to ensure that the optimal national governance and service delivery framework is in place to ensure the best possible outcomes for children and families and other clients who need to avail of this key service. The views of the profession and its representatives will receive appropriate consideration as part of the impact analysis.

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