Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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280. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will audit the current spending on universal services, early intervention, and late intervention for children, and allocate a defined level of funding from all department budgets to facilitate early intervention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17707/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The importance of promoting prevention and early intervention for the Government is demonstrated by Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People (2014-2020) which was launched in 2014. The Framework is the first overarching national policy framework for the development and implementation of policies for children and young people. Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures puts 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.

One of the commitments in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures relates to ‘exploring the development of cross-Government estimates for expenditure on children and young people’. My Department is in the process of progressing this work so as to identify expenditure on children across Government departments.

The theme of prevention and early intervention is a core element of Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures. As part of the process of structuring a work plan for 2015, 'sponsor' Departments were each requested to identify a cross-sectoral priority. My Department has identified 'prevention and early intervention' as our key cross-sectoral priority and, in collaboration with the Advisory Council for Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, is now in the process of operationalising this key cross-sectoral priority to ensure that activities in this domain are focused on ensuring the optimum outcomes for children and young people.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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281. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will co-ordinate local planning for prevention and early intervention programmes with appropriately resourced children’s and young people’s services committees, and other statutory, voluntary and community-based organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17806/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The importance of prevention and early intervention for the Government is demonstrated by Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People (2014-2020) which was launched in 2014. The Framework is the first overarching national policy framework for the development and implementation of policies for children and young people. Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures puts 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.

The theme of prevention and early intervention is a core element of Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures. It is identified as one of the key transformational goals which, with concerted effort, will lead to better outcomes for children and young people. As part of the process of structuring a work plan for 2015, 'sponsor' Departments were each requested to identify a cross-sectoral priority. My Department has identified 'prevention and early intervention' as our key cross-sectoral priority and, in collaboration with the Advisory Council for Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, is now in the process of operationalising this key cross-sectoral priority to ensure that activities in this domain are focused on ensuring the optimum outcomes for children and young people.

Children and Young People’s Services Committees (CYPSC) which were put in place to develop and implement a local planning model for interagency working to improve outcomes for children and young people, are a key element of the Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures implementation structures. The CYPSC cover 0-24 years and are aimed at aligning local services with Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures to ensure a more connected and coordinated response to the needs and aspirations of children and young people. In recognition of the key role of the community and voluntary sector in such provision, this sector will now be involved as a matter of course in all committees.

At present there are 22 CYPSC established in Ireland across 22 counties and 25 local authority areas. Three CYPSC are yet to be established in Clare, Laois Offaly and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown. It is anticipated that by the end of 2015, all Children and Young People’s Services Committees will be in place and there will be full coverage across the State.

In supporting this process, staff within my Department are engaging with stakeholders to establish a sustainable funding arrangement for CYPSC in accordance with DCYA’s commitment (G48) in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: ‘put in place an agreed resourcing framework for CYPSC drawing on existing financial support from Tusla, Local Government and DCYA’.