James 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 overarching national policy framework which comprehends the age ranges of children and young people from 0-24 years. It was launched by the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, and then Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in April 2014.

Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures provides for a robust implementation infrastructure to oversee implementation. The Children and Young People’s Policy Consortium is the keystone of the implementation framework, and is responsible for having oversight of cross-government implementation of Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures and its constituent strategies.

The Consortium is chaired by the Secretary General of my Department, with a Deputy Chair from the Department of the Taoiseach. Its membership comprises high level representation at Assistant Secretary level from all other Government Departments whose policies have an impact on children and young people. It also includes senior representatives from the HSE, Tusla, An Garda Síochána, the City and County Managers Association, the Chair of the Children and Young People’s Services Committees National Steering Group, as well as the Chair and three rotating members of the Advisory Council.

Meetings of the Consortium were held in April, July and November 2014, and April 2015. The next meeting of the Consortium is scheduled for 1st October 2015.

In terms of the work of the Consortium: in November, the Consortium approved a draft of the Implementation Plan for Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, and endorsed the five cross-sectoral priorities which form the basis of the work-plan for 2015. These are set out in the table.

At the most recent meeting of the Consortium, the Consortium was updated on the progress on the development of the first annual report on Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures. The Consortium also had the opportunity to consider the progress on the National Strategy for Children and Young People’s Participation in Decision Making(launched in June 2015), as well as the National Youth Strategy (scheduled for launch later this year).

I am pleased with the progress of work to-date of this crucial grouping within the Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures infrastructure and will ensure that this group continues to fulfil its key role of overseeing and driving this significant and ambitious whole-of-government policy framework for our children and young people.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People (2014-2020)is the overarching national policy framework which comprehends the age ranges of children and young people from 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 supported by a significant and robust implementation infrastructure comprising key groupings. Through the establishment of the Children and Young People’s Policy Consortium, cross-Government commitment and accountability for shared actions will be achieved. The Consortium oversees the implementation of the Framework which emphasises an outcomes-focused approach and cross-Government coordination. This is monitored through regular reporting, planning and review to ensure progress and momentum over the course of the Framework.

In the development of the Implementation Plan for Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, all Government Departments and Agencies with lead responsibility for commitments in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures were asked to set out the specific actions which they would be undertaking in 2014, 2015 and 2016 to achieve each of their commitments. They were also asked to provide a comment on the desired outcome for 2017 for each commitment.

By their nature, the commitments in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures vary considerably in scope and scale. Some are ongoing business for Departments and Agencies, while others represent new initiatives. Some are straightforward and readily actionable, while others require considerable planning, development and cultural change. Some are specific to very small groups of children and young people, while others are universal – impacting on over a third of the population of Ireland.

In preparing the annual report for Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures theImplementation Team in my Department has requested that all Departments and Agencies report on their work in the first year of implementation on all 163 commitments in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures.

To ensure a dynamic overview of progress, the Annual Report will also contain commentary from all Departments with lead responsibility for commitments in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, as well as the chairs of key groups in the implementation infrastructure, including the chair of the Advisory Council and the Chair of the Children and Young People’s Services Committees National Steering Group.

A draft of the annual report was presented to the high level Sponsors Group in June 2015. The annual report is currently being finalised prior to being circulated to the Children and Young People’s Policy Consortium and presented to the Senior Officials Group and Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform in the coming weeks.Subject to Government approval, I intend that the annual report will be published on my Department’s website and circulated to key constituent groupings within the Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures infrastructure.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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

Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures is supported by a robust implementation infrastructure. As this significant policy framework impacts on all of society, it is imperative that the community and voluntary sector have a strong role in its implementation. This is achieved through the Advisory Council. The Advisory Council provides a forum for the community and voluntary sector and independent experts to engage with the Children and Young People’s Policy Consortium and its constituent elements to actively inform and support the implementation of Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures. The Council consists of four constituent groupings with representatives from the following sectors: Early Years; Children; Youth; and independent experts.

The Advisory Council was the final piece of the implementation structures to be established. The Council is chaired by Dr Owen Keenan, and their first meeting was held on 5 November 2014. The second was held in December 2014, where the Sponsors Group presented the cross-sectoral priorities for 2015 to the Sponsors. Subsequent meetings were held in January, February, April and June 2015. In April, drafts of the National Strategy on Children and Young People’s Participation in Decision Making, and the National Youth Strategy were presented to the Council, and in June the Council discussed another significant DCYA-led policy initiative in Children and Young People’s Services Committees.

The Advisory Council are convening regularly as they work towards establishing their role within the overall implementation process. The Council has been requested to consider a number of issues towards supporting the implementation process, including:

- How the Council, and broader civil society, can contribute to the implementation of BOBF

- Inform, along with other constituent groupings, the identification of priority areas for 2016 which could be considered and agreed with the Sponsors Group before being approved by the Consortium

- How key messages of BOBF implementation can be communicated to the wider community and voluntary sector

The Council has recently decided to form two subgroups to progress the issues of:

- prevention and early intervention

- child poverty.

These two subgroups will be co-convened by members of the Council and with officials from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the Department of Social Protection to progress these significant issues, before reporting back to the Council in September.

Finally, I welcome the engagement of the Advisory Council in supporting the implementation of Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures in their respective sectors; and look forward to the advancement of a the work of the Council in collaboration with my Department.