Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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645. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 947 of 25 March 2014, if he will provide an update on the work of his Department in drafting regulations for special care units to facilitate the commencement of a significant number of provisions in the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2011. [28426/14]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, a number of sections, mainly in Part 2 and Part 3, of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2011 remain to be commenced.

A substantial element of the uncommenced sections relate to provisions for special care. Given the legislative framework utilised to manage the interaction between the Child Care Act 1991 and the Health Act 2007, in relation to special care provisions, Regulations under the Health Act 2007 are required in advance of the commencement of these various sections.

Work is at an advanced stage in my Department in drafting the required Regulations for Special Care Units. I would hope to have the Regulations finalised in the coming weeks, and shortly thereafter to draft a commencement order for the relevant sections of the 2011 Act.

Other sections of the Act that are not yet in force are being kept under review as to their commencement in association with relevant policy and service developments.