Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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106. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which various voluntary groups, bodies and organisations dealing with the rights and well-being of children remain in contact with him and vice versa; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43157/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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My Department has contact with various voluntary groups, bodies and organisations dealing with the rights and well-being of children. These contacts relate to a range of responsibilities that come within my remit and some bodies have multiple contacts with my Department in line with their respective areas of interest.

On an ongoing basis we have contacts with the State Bodies coming within remit of my Department, namely the Child and Family Agency and the Adoption Authority of Ireland. We have contact with the Ombudsman for Children in the context of our relationship with that Office under its governing legislation.

The Better Outcomes, Brighter FuturesAdvisory Council was established in November 2014 and includes representatives from key groups working in the areas of Early Years, Children and Youth, as well as independent experts and individuals nominated by me. The Advisory Council provides the platform through which the NGO sector connects with and mobilises communities, families and individuals, and is an essential partner to implementation of the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People.

My Department works closely with youth sector interests in developing key initiatives such as the National Youth Strategy 2014-20, which I launched in October. My Department maintains close contact with youth services throughout the country, and with the national and major regional youth organisations. Regular meetings are held to exchange information and the youth services actively work with my Department on the development of coordinated policies and services that meet young people’s needs. I, and officials of my Department have met, and continue to meet regularly, with youth organisations and groups. My aim is to see how we can work together in a coordinated way to bring about the best possible outcomes for young people.

During the development of the Children First legislation, a number of round-table meetings were held with key stakeholders to brief them on the provisions of the Bill. The legislation was enacted on 19 November 2015.

My Department works with a wide range of non-government organisations in the development of policy and practice on children and young people’s participation in decision-making. The first National Strategy on the Participation of Children and Young People in Decision making, 2015-2020 was developed following a consultative process involving key groups, bodies and organisations dealing with the rights and well-being of children.

Some specific topics involve contacts with particular groups. For example:

- The Children's Rights Alliance in relation to policy matters arising under the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child, specifically the Third Optional Protocol to the UNCRC on a Communications Procedure;

- The ISPCC in relation to the Missing Children's Hotline which is now funded by my Department;

- Barnardos in relation to the provision of Guardian Ad Litem services under the Child Care Act 1991;

- The Children’s Research Network for Ireland and Northern Ireland, established in 2010 to support the research community to better understand and improve the lives of children and young people, by creating and maintaining an inclusive, independent, non-profit network through which information, knowledge, experience, learning and skills can be shared.

The Children Detention Schools have service level agreements with certain organisations. Empowering People in Care provides advice, support and individual advocacy services to children and young people in care, those preparing to leave care and those in aftercare. The Youth Advocate Programmes organisation builds partnerships between vulnerable young people, their families and communities. Their aim is to offer a community-based, strengths-focused, intensive support to selected young persons for up to six months on their discharge to aid re-integration into their community, particularly where the young person doesn't have other adequate supports in place.

The Early Years Policy Unit in my Department has ongoing interaction on a range of childcare related issues with the 31 City and County Childcare Committees and the 6 National Voluntary Childcare organisations that represent childcare providers and also advocate in relation to childcare issues. The voluntary organisations include Barnardos, Early Childhood Ireland, Childminding Ireland, National Childhood Network (formally Border Counties Childcare Network), St. Nicholas Montessori and the Irish Steiner Waldorf Organisation. Contacts with any other organisations not mentioned above can take place at any time, either at my request or in response to requests from the organisations concerned.

The Adoption Policy Unit of my Department has contact with various voluntary groups, bodies and organisations dealing with the rights and wellbeing of children. These include Treoir, International Adoption Association and other advocacy /representative organisations.