Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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325. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the priorities in his Department for the remainder of the term of this Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49018/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Deputy, I have considered, in conjunction with senior officials in my Department, my priorities for the remainder of my term of office. There is much work to be done and it is not without its challenges. Obviously, to deliver in full on our commitments in the Programme for Governments is of key importance and, in that context, the following will form part of my key priorities.

My most immediate priority is to establish and support a Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes. This is a complex subject and has required extensive consultation and very careful consideration. It is not a short-term project and will continue to require the support of the Government beyond our present term.

This government committed to fundamentally reforming the delivery of child and family welfare and child protection services, creating a dedicated Agency and reforming the model of service delivery. I will continue to work with Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to support and progress a wide ranging programme of reform of child and family welfare and protection services.This is a huge undertaking, but I am heartened by knowing that in Gordon Jeyes, the Agency’s CEO, and Norah Gibbons, Chair of the Tusla Board, we have the commitment and dedication we need to reform and transform services for children and families in Ireland.

I intend to honour another Programme for Government commitment by enacting the Children First Bill, which will strengthen the child protection legislative framework in Ireland.

Since taking on the role of Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I have been fortunate to meet many young people who spent time in care as a child. We know that the transition from living in care to independent living can be a very difficult one. Therefore I also aim to provide for a statutory right to an aftercare plan, so that we will have a clear sense of the needs of every young person as they embark on that transition. This week, Government approved a number of amendments to that legislation on foot of recommendations made by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, and I am grateful to the valuable work the Committee did in that regard.

The new National Children Detention Facilities at Oberstown will be completed shortly: construction work is being finalised, new staff are being recruited and trained. We will meet our Programme for Government commitment to end the practice of detaining children in prison facilities. To achieve that objective, I have received Government approval to make the necessary changes to the Children Act 2001. Amongst other things, this legislation will provide for the merging of the three existing Children Detention Schools into a single legal entity, and will also address a number of legal and policy issues associated with managing all children under the age of 18 on that site. I expect to publish and enact that legislation shortly.

I intend to launch Ireland’s first ever Early Years Strategy creating an innovative and dynamic blueprint for the future development of Ireland’s early years sector. Before finalising the strategy, I want to conduct a series of consultation meetings with a range of interests, so that I will have a better feeling for the views of stakeholders. I also intend to continue quality improvements in early years and child care services and to review existing targeted child care supports. It is crucial that we deliver high standards and transparency in this area, and that all parents have confidence in our early years sector. I am committed to maintaining the universal Early Childhood Care and Education programme, and am also examining the priorities for future investment in terms of the supply, accessibility and affordability of quality child care.

In relation to adoption services, work is continuing on the Heads of Bill for the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill and I hope to be in a position to seek Government approval to publish the Heads of Bill as soon as possible. The Bill aims to provide for structured and regulated access to information and contact for those affected by adoption. Significant legal and operational complexities arise in giving effect to this objective, but I am committed to realising as progressive an approach as possible. Once approved by Government, the Heads of Bill will be sent to the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children for its detailed consideration. I also hope to conclude a review of the Adoption Act 2010.

I have just announced the commencement of a consultation to ensure that all interests, including youth organisations and services, have the opportunity to input to a new National Youth Strategy. My Department is currently developing the strategy, which will be for all young people aged 10 to 24 years, having particular regard to young people experiencing or at risk of experiencing the poorest outcomes and in most need of support. I intend to publish the new National Youth Strategy early in 2015.

A key concern in reforming services for children and families is the need to bring a greater focus on early intervention and prevention. The Area Based Childhood (ABC) programme was a key commitment of this Government aimed at tackling child poverty, building on and continuing the work of the Prevention and Early Intervention Programme. I intend to develop an evaluation framework for the ABC Programme that will be overseen by an International Expert Advisory Group to build on the learning to date from the existing 13 programme sites. I also hope to develop a high-end mentoring initiative to support other sites who, while unsuccessful in the application stage for ABC, showed potential in terms of the design and delivery of effective evidence informed programmes.

Consistent with a preventative approach, the Deputy will be aware that the Protection of Children's Health (Tobacco Smoke in Mechanically Propelled Vehicles) Bill 2012 completed its passage in the Oireachtas today (18 December 2014). The new law, once commenced, will ban smoking in cars where children are present. I wish to thank all those who worked on that legislation, particularly Senators Jillian Van Turnhout, John Crown, and Mark Daly. Similarly, I am determined to secure the passage of the Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014. This legislation will effectively remove the last billboard for tobacco products – the cigarette box itself – and I passionately believe it will reduce the number of children and young persons starting to smoke.

In April of this year, the National Policy Framework for Children and Young people was launched. The document is a milestone in developing a coordinated, government-wide set of actions to provide a better future for our children and young people. It is the first national policy framework that spans the age range of 0 to 24 years, bringing together policies for all children and young people right across government. As a third of the Irish population is aged between 0 and 24, the scale of the task speaks for itself. I have established an Advisory Council, with a range of independent experts and leading representatives from NGOs, to leverage engagement with the whole of society to move this agenda on. In 2015, it is a key priority of mine and my department, to work with the Advisory Council and my government colleagues to implement the wide range of actions set out in the Better Outcomes, Brighter Futuresframework.