Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will outline the intended make up of the board of the Child and Family Support Agency; if she will confirm that a representative from the family resource centres will have full board membership; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7304/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Government has approved the Heads of the Child and Family Support Agency Bill and has also agreed to the priority drafting of this Bill. The necessary legislative and organisational preparations are being prioritised so that the Agency can be established as soon as possible. From its establishment the Child and Family Support Agency will have service responsibility for a range of services, including child welfare and protection services currently operated by the HSE; domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services. The functions of the Family Support Agency and the National Educational Welfare Board will transfer into the Child and Family Support Agency upon its establishment.

The Government's consideration of these matters was informed, by the content and recommendations of the Report of the Task Force on the Child and Family Support Agency which I published in July 2012. The Task Force considered that the Agency needs to be as broadly based as possible and should include a range of prevention, early intervention, family support and therapeutic care interventions.

It is my intention that the agency will have a role in supporting families and communities. It will have the benefit in this role of 106 Family Resource Centres which have been developed across the country with funding from the Family Support Agency. The new Agency will build on the excellent work undertaken by the Family Support Agency over the last decade, and a community based approach will form an integral part of the new Child and Family Support Agency.

The composition of the Board of the Child and Family Support Agency is currently under consideration. The composition of the Board will reflect the broad ranging nature of the Agency's responsibilities. In line with best corporate governance, the criteria for Board membership will be focused on ensuring that Board members have the requisite mix of experience and competencies needed to steer such a large organisation providing a diverse range of personal services.