Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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327. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will support the Edenmore Early Education Centre, Dublin 5 with increased investment and a cohesive early childhood education and care strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3711/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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My Department implements a number of programmes to support parents with the cost of childcare. The pre-school service referred to by the Deputy is participating in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme.

The ECCE programme is a free and universal programme which provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children. For the academic year 2014/2015, based on the higher capitation rate payments of €73 per child per week and its current enrolment, this service will be entitled to total funding in the region of €83,000 under this programme.

In addition to this universal provision, there are targeted schemes in place to help parents on low incomes with childcare costs when participating in education, training and when moving from welfare to work. These include the three Training and Employment Support programmes. Together with the Community Childcare Subvention Programme (which is open only to community not-for-profit childcare services) and the ECCE programme, these programmes represent an annual investment of approximately €260 million and support the parents of more than 100,000 children. This service should engage with the local City/County Childcare Committee to establish if it is eligible to participate in any further childcare support programmes.

I recently announced a proposal to establish a cross-Departmental group at senior level to develop a whole-of-Government approach to future investment in early childhood care and education and after-school care. The group will undertake an economic and cost benefit analysis of policies and future options for increasing the supply, accessibility and affordability of quality childhood care and education services.

The group, which will be chaired by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, will include representatives from the Departments of the Taoiseach, Education & Skills, Social Protection, Jobs & Innovation, Public Expenditure & Reform and Finance. It is intended that the group will report to Government in the Summer.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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328. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if his Department is collaborating with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to ensure that there is appropriate accommodation available to young persons leaving care given the current changes in accessing supported temporary accommodation. [3737/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Policy responsibility for homeless young people, insofar as it extends to my Department, relates to children under 18 and any child welfare and protection concerns that may arise in the context of the Child Care Act 1991. Children under 16 who present as being homeless to emergency services are taken into care. Children aged 16 and 17 may be taken into care, or provided a service under section 5 of the Child Care Act 1991. Young people who are homeless, either singly or as part of a family unit and not falling within this category are the responsibility of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and local authorities. Young people who were formerly in the care of the State and presently in receipt of aftercare services have their accommodation needs identified as part of this support.

Last year, a protocol was established between the County and City Management Association and the Child and Family Agency in relation to the assessment of housing needs for young people leaving care, the interaction between interagency aftercare committees and local authority housing representatives and how to progress such accommodation related matters. The aim of the protocol is to make the assessment and allocation of social housing, where deemed to be the most appropriate response to the young person’s need, more efficient and seamless. This protocol came about through the collaboration of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Child and Family Agency.

The protocol will see the relevant local authority housing representative attend aftercare planning meetings with social workers of the Agency in relation to those young people for whom social housing has been identified as the most appropriate form of accommodation support. This, it is hoped, will facilitate a more efficient service for those leaving care in obtaining social housing suitable to their needs.

During the course of discussions with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, the issue of the particular vulnerability of young people leaving State care, as highlighted in the first report to Government of the Homelessness Oversight Group, was considered. Discussions between the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government have been ongoing in relation to matters of accommodation for those leaving the care of the State and how they might be best supported.

Aftercare is the planning and support put in place to meet the needs of a young person who is leaving statutory care at 18 years of age, to assist him/her in making the transition to independent living. The children most vulnerable to homelessness as care leavers are those leaving residential care or short term foster care placements. Children who come into care late, in their mid to late teens, may not have developed the relationships with staff or aftercare workers that can be so important in realising positive outcomes. It is essential that these young people have an opportunity to develop a relationship with a dedicated aftercare worker who will work with them to identify their needs and ensure that services are in place to help provide them with the stability and support they need.

It has been decided to strengthen the legislative provisions regarding aftercare. This is in response to concerns that there was insufficient focus in this area and that such planning was not taking place on a properly structured and consistent basis. The approach adopted is to impose a statutory duty on the Agency to prepare an aftercare plan for an eligible child or eligible young person. The aim is to create an explicit, as opposed to implicit, statement of the Agency’s duty to satisfy itself as to the child’s or young person’s need for assistance by preparing a plan that identifies those needs for aftercare supports.

It is anticipated that the Aftercare Bill will be published in the early part of 2015.