Written answers

Tuesday, 11 June 2013

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Child Protection Issues

Photo of Tony McLoughlinTony McLoughlin (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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838. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the Health Service Executive has provided any inspections for creches in the Sligo/Leitrim area; if she will be publishing details of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27260/13]

Photo of Andrew DoyleAndrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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850. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of creches that are subject to inspection (details supplied) in County Wicklow; the total number that are not subject to inspection; the total number of inspections carried out each year from 2007 to 2012; if she will provide a breakdown of the figures as a percentage of the total amount that could be inspected in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27036/13]

Photo of Dominic HanniganDominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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853. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of creches in County Meath that failed the Health Service Executive inspection in each of the years 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012; if the creches resolved the issues that were raised in the inspection; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27075/13]

Photo of Gerald NashGerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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854. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the Health Service Executive will appoint an inspector for developmental aspects of childcare facilities for the Louth area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27364/13]

Photo of Gerald NashGerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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855. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of childcare facilities private and public in County Louth inspected in each of the last four years 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 by the Health Service Executive; if she will provide the names of the facilities which have been inspected; if she will provide the information in tabular format; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27367/13]

Photo of Gerald NashGerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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856. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of childcare facilities private and public in County Meath inspected in each of the past four years 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 by the Health Service Executive; if she will provide the names of the facilities which have been inspected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27368/13]

Photo of Andrew DoyleAndrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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858. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will make available the complete list of inspection reports for a creche (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27444/13]

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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862. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of inspectors at present carrying out inspections on crèches here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27637/13]

Photo of Frances FitzgeraldFrances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 838, 850, 853 to 856, inclusive, 858 and 862 together.

Under the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No 2) Regulations 2006, the inspection of pre-schools is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE), and I have referred the Deputies’ specific queries to the HSE for direct reply.

I understand that, in 2011, 2,789 childcare providers were subject to inspections by the HSE Pre-School Inspectorate. This is an inspection rate of over 61% in a single year. This compares very favourably with comparable jurisdictions such as England, where Ofsted operates a policy of inspecting childcare providers on a 3 – 4 year cycle.

An issue that has been raised is the need to ensure national consistency in the approach to inspections. The HSE recently introduced Standard Operating Procedures to facilitate this and I welcome that step. I have also arranged for pre-school inspection reports to be published on-line from July of this year.

It is important to realise that inspections alone are not the answer to improving quality. What is required is a multi-faceted approach, and since this Government came to office we have been working to ensure issues relating to child protection and welfare are put front and centre. The establishment of a Department of Children and Youth Affairs was recognition of the huge body of work which needs to be done in this area.

As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, driving the early childhood care and education quality agenda is one of my key objectives. I believe we can achieve this objective by taking a number of steps in conjunction with the Department of Education and Skills, including the adaptation of the existing pre-school inspection system to provide a more comprehensive and broader-based inspection regime for pre-schools, moving to a greater focus on outcomes for children.

In support of this, a Joint Pilot Inspection of Early Years Services was carried out by Inspectors from the HSE and the Department of Education and Skills between September 2011 and May 2012. This pilot will inform the proactive approach being taken.

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