Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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358. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the support that is available for young carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7815/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The National Carers Strategy is led by the Department of Health and many Departments including the Department of Children and Youth Affairs have a role to play in its implementation. In September 2014 officials from my Department and the Child and Family Agency met with the National Carers' Association to discuss the role of the Department and the Agency in relation to the National Carers' Strategy.

The Child and Family Agency Act 2013 brings together a range of existing services for children and families to one agency. As of 1st January 2014, the Child and Family Agency is responsible for the former Family Support Agency, the National Educational Welfare Board and also for the functions of Child and Family services previously provided by the HSE. The Agency's functions include maintaining and developing services in order to support and promote the development, welfare and protection of children and to support effective functioning of families. In so doing the Agency will promote enhanced interagency cooperation to ensure that services are coordinated on the principle of the best interest of all children and their families.

The Educational Welfare Service (EWS) of the Child and Family Agency is in the process of refining and implementing a new strategic approach to service delivery through an integrated model of service committed to the principle of “One Child, One Team, One Plan”. The EWS of the Child and Family Agency is developing national guidelines as a practical support for schools in the preparation of School Attendance Strategies as outlined in Section 22 of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000. The guidelines will assist schools to implement effective measures to support children at risk of poor attendance and participation, including those with caring responsibilities. It is anticipated that the guidelines will be completed before the beginning of the 2015/16 academic year.

In order to learn more about children that undertake caring roles, my Department requested the Central Statistics Office to help to identify the extent to which children have caring responsibilities. The Census of Population 2011 found that 6,449 children, or 5.6 per 1,000 children provided regular unpaid personal help for a friend or family member with a long-term illness, health problems or disability. Rates ranged from 4.3 per 1,000 in Co. Louth to 8.2 per 1000 in Co. Leitrim. Under the National Strategy for Research and Data on Children’s Lives (2011-2016) analysis of those figures in the 2011 Census will help to inform future policy as to how best to address the support needs of children and young people who undertake caring roles. This analysis will be published in 2015.

A National Youth Strategy is also being developed by my Department. It will be a universal strategy for all young people aged 10 to 24 years. It will have a particular focus on those who are most disadvantaged or at risk and who have the poorest outcomes and therefore in most need of support. The consultation process in the development of this strategy has included a number of major stakeholder consultation events and I am pleased that representatives of the Carers Association participated in these consultations.