Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has fully considered the report of the National Director for Children and Family Services on the aftercare provision; if she will provide the opposition spokespersons with a copy of the report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7314/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that I am currently examining options, in association with the Attorney General, to strengthen legislation regarding the provision of aftercare. This matter is currently being progressed in my Department.

The Deputy will also be aware that the HSE has provided information on aftercare to my Department, to guide the development of policy to underpin the strengthening of legislation for services in this important area. The HSE responded to my Department at the end of November in relation to the key findings of the National Implementation Group and provided information on the current provision of aftercare, assessment of need, multi-agency working and the HSE policy regarding Section 5 of the Child Care Act 1991, which provides that the HSE must take all reasonable steps to make suitable accommodation available to a child who is in need of accommodation. The response of the HSE provides an important update on the significant progress in developing aftercare supports, the development of greater consistency nationally and the challenges in making supports available to individual young people, including the need for multi-agency cooperation and the need to take account of the views of those leaving care who, ultimately as young adults must wish to avail of the aftercare arrangements being made available. I have arranged for my officials to forward a copy of this response to the Deputy today.

The annual spend on aftercare in 2012 was €17 million.There are currently 42.2 whole time equivalent aftercare workers in the HSE. In addition, the HSE commissions aftercare services from Focus Ireland, Don Bosco and Cross Care. The most recent information available indicates that there are 1,387 young people in aftercare, the majority of whom are aged 18-19 years. Since November, I have received additional information regarding young people who were in foster care and I was advised by the HSE that approximately 640 young people aged 18 and over are living with their foster carers and are being supported financially by the HSE. A further 110 of the young people in aftercare are living in supported lodgings. Supported Lodgings are provided to young people in care and in need of accommodation and support aged between 16 and 18 years, who cannot live at home but are not yet ready to live independently. Supported Lodgings is a term used to describe when a young person lives with an adult or family in a domestic home and is provided with accommodation, care and support appropriate to their age and needs. Persons providing this service are fully assessed and monitored.

The HSE National Aftercare Service which is underpinned by a National Policy and Procedures Document, commits to promoting and achieving the best outcomes for young people leaving care and in ensuring consistency of support to these young people. An intra-agency National Aftercare Implementation Group, comprised of NGO groups representing aftercare, child advocacy, foster care and other groups, was established by the HSE to monitor progress in implementing the national policy.

The HSE has reported on the key findings of the National Implementation Group's review of aftercare provision. The review has shown that there is now a more systematic approach to ensuring that young people around age sixteen are identified through the care planning review process for assessment and through care planning. A standardised aftercare planning template is now being utilised nationally and this approach is helping to identify young people with special needs, such as learning disabilities, earlier and has led to good examples of interagency working. There have also been improvements in the statistical information available with additional new data being provided. While an aftercare service is provided across all areas, variations in how this is delivered and the level of aftercare allowances have been highlighted by the Group.

The National Policy and Procedures Document sets out the eligibility criteria for an aftercare service. The care planing review process identifies young people as they approach 16 years and a process of assessment commences at that point, in conjunction with the wishes and views of the young person. Each individual's strengths and need for support is assessed across a number of areas, including whether they will continue to live with foster carers for a number of years after reaching age 18. The assessment also looks at life skills and capacity to live independently in the short and longer term; relationships with family, carers and significant others; emotional and behavioural development; health and overall wellbeing; identity and very importantly, educational/training requirements.

Given the particular difficulties some young people experience in areas of mental health and disability, the aftercare policy has a strong multi-agency dimension, which is particularly important in the context of the HSE Children and Family Services' transition to the Child and Family Support Agency. Protocols are being developed with Social Inclusion, Disability Services, Mental Health Services and Primary Care to support this approach. A protocol has been signed with the Irish Youth Justice Service which covers joint working arrangements for young people in Detention Schools. In addition, a protocol with the Housing Authorities which will set out a clear framework for identifying quality aftercare accommodation and commit local authorities to consider the needs of young care leavers is in the final stages of preparation.

Clearly, there have been improvements in the delivery of aftercare service and the issue is under ongoing active consideration by the National Implementation Group. My officials will continue to engage with the HSE to ensure that the service is addressing the needs of these vulnerable young people.