Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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189. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which her Department is in a position to monitor children at risk; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7173/14]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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190. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of reports received by her Department in respect of children and-or teenagers at risk in the past 12 months; the extent to which it has been found possible to offer assistance and follow-up support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7174/14]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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195. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding the setting up of the Child and Family Agency; the degree to which it is expected to be in a position to engage with families or children at risk; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7179/14]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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196. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which children and teenagers deemed to be at risk for whatever reason continue to be brought to the attention of her Department; the extent to which the primary cause or causes contributing to their situations continue to be assessed; if such issues of social deprivation, health, depression or other reasons such as intimidation or bullying have been identified; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7180/14]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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198. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which she is satisfied regarding the ability of the relevant bodies to respond to calls in respect of children and young adults at risk; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7182/14]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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200. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which her Department remains in contact with child support services in the Health Service Executive with a view to determination of the best practice to be pursued in cases of children at risk that have been brought to the attention of the HSE and-or her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7184/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 189, 190, 195, 196, 198 and 200 together.

The Child and Family Agency was established on 1st January, 2014. Responsibility for promoting the welfare and protection of children at risk is a key function of the Agency. The context within which our child welfare and protection services operate today is very challenging. The number of child welfare and protection referrals to social work departments increased by nearly one third to over 40,000 in 2012.

It is my intention that the Child and Family Agency will bring a renewed focus on delivering safe and effective services for children and families who need a wide continuum of supports and interventions. The Agency will address the persistent issues which have been raised regarding the standardisation of services, communication, coordination and sharing of risk assessment, management and treatment for many children and families with the most complex needs. The Agency is tasked with developing a role in supporting families more universally by providing less complex, less intrusive, less expensive responses which have a preventive function.

The principles underlying this responsibility are outlined in the prevention, early intervention, family support and therapeutic and care interventions which are key to the provision of integrated multi-disciplinary services for children and families in need. A key policy objective for the Agency is to ensure that the fundamental principles of co-operation and co-ordination in the development and delivery of services are in place.

My Department has a range of systems in place to ensure it is informed of risk to children and the measures put in place to minimise these risks. Monthly, quarterly and annual reports are received from the Child and Family Agency in respect of all its functions, including detailed reporting of key performance indicators. Officials have a range of meetings with the Agency to review areas in need of improvement. There are protocols in place for the Agency to inform the Minister and the Department of specific issues where risk is identified and to enable a robust management response to be put in place.

Inspection reports are also received on an ongoing basis and meetings with HIQA managers and inspectors will be held on a regular basis to review key inspection findings in relation to children in detention schools, children in care in residential care including special care, foster care and children in receipt of child welfare and protection services in the community. Reports from the Ombudsman for Children and the National Review Panel where risk to children is noted are reviewed by Department officials to identify issues that require input and progress in the area of policy or of operational issues.

I am satisfied that in establishing the new Child and Family Agency we now have in place the necessary structure to ensure the provision of a more responsive and integrated service to children and young people at risk.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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191. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which it is intended to reinforce the rights of the child with particular reference to addressing issues of physical, mental or sexual abuse; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7175/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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My Department is taking a lead role in the cross-sectoral implementation of Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children [2011]. A Children First Implementation Inter-Departmental Group has been established involving key Government Departments, An Garda Síochána and the Child and Family Agency. The purpose of the Group is to promote the importance of Children First compliance across Government and to ensure consistency of approach. The Group has completed a benchmark phase of establishing structures, mechanisms and activities in place within each sector to support and drive the implementation process. In July 2013 the Government approved the publication of each Departmental Children First Sectoral Implementation Plan on the relevant Department websites. A key priority of the Group is the development of appropriate reporting mechanisms in respect of the implementation of Children First within each sector and the assurance arrangements to monitor implementation and compliance.

It is important to emphasise that there have been significant legal and structural reform changes to improve all of the systems of protection of children in Ireland. In my own area, these changes include the establishment of the Child and Family Agency, the ongoing implementation of Children First National Guidelines and the development of legislation to put key aspects of Children First on a statutory footing. Officials from my Department are continuing to liaise with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel in relation to the drafting of the Children First Bill, which is now at an advanced stage. The Bill is included in the Government's legislative programme for the Spring/Summer session and I expect to submit it to Government in the coming weeks.