Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent of contact she has had with her portfolio holding counterpart north of the border; the specific initiatives they have discussed and have or do now plan to undertake; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17271/13]

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

The ongoing North South work of my Department takes place under the auspices of the North South Ministerial Council. The North South Ministerial Council meets in Sectorial Format to oversee co-operation in agreed areas/sectors. At these Sectorial meetings the Irish Government is represented by the Minister or the Minister of State responsible for that Sector, and the Northern Ireland Executive is represented by two Ministers nominated by the First Minister and deputy First Minister on a cross-community basis.

Following a North South Ministerial Council Plenary meeting in February 2008, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety [DHSSPS] and the then Office of the Minister for Children (now DCYA) established a Cross Border Group on Child Protection, comprising officials from relevant departments to intensify cooperation on Child Protection including early progress on an all-island Child Protection awareness campaign; the identification of other medium/long term measures to improve Child Protection, including an examination of an all-island approach to child protection, focusing in particular on vetting and exchange of information; any areas for co-operation on children’s services emerging from the North South Feasibility Study on health and social services.

The cross border group is co-chaired by DCYA and DHSSPS. In June, 2008, it was agreed to take forward 5 initiatives through a sub-group structure, in areas where co-operation, shared learning and best practice could be of benefit to both jurisdictions, and to meet every six months to review progress. The first five sub-groups were

(i) Vetting and Barring Protocol

Terms of Reference: to work together to ensure that the land border between the north and south of Ireland cannot be exploited by individuals considered unsuitable to work with vulnerable groups by: Considering existing or planned vetting and barring arrangements in each jurisdiction; establishing if and how these arrangements could be strengthened by or benefit from the mutual exchange of relevant information; exploring the potential for the alignment of legislation around vetting and barring requirements between the two jurisdictions.

(ii) Research and Knowledge Transfer in Child Protection

Terms of Reference: to seek to ensure that key Government policy documents, publications of inquiries and inspections as well as executive summaries of case management and serious case reviews in the field of child protection should be readily available to practitioners; to explore the potential for a dedicated North-South child protection database resource for practitioners as well as the optimum structures for enabling knowledge and learning to be transferred into practice;

(iii) Internet Safety

Terms of Reference: To share best practice in the area of internet safety, i.e. the protection of children and young people from illegal and harmful internet content; To consider the scope for cross-border co-operation in this field, particularly in the area of public awareness raising of internet safety issues; To explore the strategic alignment of the approach to addressing internet safety issues and related technologies in both jurisdictions.

(iv) All-Ireland Media Awareness

Terms of Reference: To examine how best all-island public awareness campaigns can be developed in relation to child welfare and protection and be carried out to complement any such information dissemination on either side of the border and to exchange learning on these issues for mutual benefits and coordination.

(v) Inter-Jurisdictional Protocol for the Transfer of Child Care cases between Northern Ireland and Ireland

Terms of Reference: To review existing arrangements, structures and legislative framework in the different jurisdictions regarding the movement of vulnerable children and their families across Irish and UK borders; To develop a common protocol (taking account of existing arrangements, structures and legislative framework) for the movement of vulnerable children and their families across Irish and UK borders. This protocol will give guidance on agreed thresholds and definitions which will trigger exchange of information.

The Steering Group agreed that since the work of the first five sub-groups has largely been completed these can be stood down and a new work programme developed. The group, in July 2012, explored a number of areas of potential co-operation and recommended that a future programme of work be taken forward through five specific work streams focussing on:

Work Stream 1

Knowledge Exchange Forum - This work stream will promote continued learning through use of research and evidence based practice. The first ‘product’ of this work stream will be an ‘All-Island Conference’, to ne held on the 1 of May 2013. This conference aims to share practice knowledge, research and learning amongst policy makers, practitioners and managers in relation to safeguarding and child protection practices.

Work Stream 2

Quality and Effectiveness - This work stream will progress initiatives to build workforce capacity and improve the quality and effectiveness of social work and social care work interventions and practice. It is anticipated that ‘learning pathways’ and resources in relation to agreed key practice areas (eg; Child Development) will be developed to inform professional education and training curricula and planning and to support joint or shared training initiatives.

Work Stream 3

Deaths of Children in Care - This work stream will contribute to learning in relation to deaths of children in care by developing an overview and analysis of the features of deaths of children in care in both jurisdictions.

Work Stream 4

Cultural Competence in Safeguarding - This work stream will assist to develop common guidance for practitioners working with other cultures and develop a publication of Good Practice Notes for work with new communities. It will focus upon promoting safeguarding practice in the context of legislative and procedural compliance whilst respecting equality and diversity.

Work Stream 5

Specialist Services - This work stream will explore opportunities to develop specialist services on a cross-border basis to assist in meeting the needs of those children and families where there is a requirement for a high volume of expertise combined with a low volume turnover of clientele.

In addition, the Irish Youth Justice Service in my Department is involved in a North-South Process which is led by the Department of Justice and Equality under the auspices of the St. Andrews Agreement. The Youth Justice Project Advisory Group is one of six strands in this process. It aims to guide and support co-operation in the youth justice area on both sides of the border; to provide a forum for the active exchange of information, ideas and expertise between participating bodies on matters including restorative justice and tackling re offending; and the examination and identification of the areas where joint working could take place. The North-South Youth Justice Project Advisory Group meets twice a year and reports to the North-South High Level Senior Officials Group.