Written answers

Tuesday, 23 September 2014

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Youth Services Provision

Photo of Caoimhghín Ó CaoláinCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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335. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when he plans to appoint the Better Outcomes, Brighter Future advisory council. [35570/14]

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People (2014-2020)is the first overarching national policy framework which comprehends the age ranges of children and young people 0 – 24 years. It was launched by the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, and then Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in April 2014.

Better Outcomes, Brighter Futuresis based on a clear vision of what we want for children and young people in Ireland. This vision is for:

“Ireland to be one of the best small countries in which to grow up and raise a family, andwhere the rights of all children and young people are respected, protected and fulfilled; where their voices are heard and where they are supported to realise their maximum potential now and in the future.”

Better Outcomes, Brighter Futuresputs the everyday lives of children and young people at its centre and requires Government Departments and State agencies to work together in an integrated way along with non-government organisations to achieve better outcomes for children and young people.

It emphasises an integrated and evidence informed approach to working across government, on horizontal and vertical levels, which transfers to all sectors and settings working with children and young people.

The implementation of Better Outcomes, Brighter Futuresinvolves the establishment of clear and efficient structures to ensure accountability, drive implementation and provide a forum for stakeholder engagement. These structures have been designed to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. They bring together in a concerted manner the key players across government, the voluntary sector and the voices of children and young people. The new implementation structure streamlines and redesigns existing structures and forums in this area so that their input is represented at a strategic level on the Children and Young People’s Policy Consortium.

The establishment of the Advisory Council is a significant action within Better Outcomes, Brighter Futuresto leverage engagement with the whole-of-society, in this case through the NGO sector, with the inclusion of other independent experts and individuals with specific expertise in working with and for children and young people.

The Advisory Council brings together for the first time a diverse range of sectoral stakeholders in the domains of children and young people’s policy and provision into one forum. The Advisory Council will provide the platform for the NGO sector involved in the area of children and young people to actively guide and support the implementation of Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures.

As the NGO sector connects with and mobilises communities, families and individuals, they are an essential partner to implementation so as to ensure that better outcomes for children and young people are achieved.

The Advisory Council will comprise 16 members, in four groups of four, under an independent chair. The first three groups represent the sectors of: Early Years, Children and Youth. The representative bodies for the groups in these areas have each been asked to provide three nominees to me for inclusion on the Advisory Council. These groups are:

- Early Years – The National Voluntary Childcare Collective

- Children – The Children’s Rights Alliance

- Youth - The National Youth Council of Ireland

Presently, work is ongoing in the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in finalising the remaining candidates for the positions on the Advisory Council. This will completed shortly and it is expected that the first meeting of the Advisory Council will take place before the end of October.

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