Written answers

Tuesday, 24 May 2016

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Children and Family Services Provision

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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627. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on ensuring the provision of a comprehensive range of services for families throughout a child's life by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency; the priority she gives to this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11566/16]

Photo of Katherine ZapponeKatherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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My Department is firmly committed to transforming Ireland’s children and family services. The establishment in 2014 of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, was a key commitment of the previous Programme for Government. It represented an essential response to reports on child protection failings, including inconsistency and fragmentation in service provision.

Tusla brings a dedicated focus to child protection, family support and other key children’s services. The Agency is as broadly based as possible and includes services that (i) may prevent problems arising for a family in the first instance, (ii) identify problems and provide supports at an early stage, and (iii) assist children and families in managing serious problems requiring specialised intervention beyond their own resources. The range of services includes child welfare and protection, family support, educational welfare, early years provision and pre-school inspection, domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services, and other community-based initiatives.

It is important to stress that many children and families never need to engage with Tusla. Some children and families may come into contact with the Agency for a specified purpose over a defined period of time, whereas others may require a longer term engagement with the Agency. All interactions are based on assessments of need, with a view to assisting families to function independently and for children and young people to achieve their full potential.

In 2015, my Department published a ‘High-Level Policy Statement on Supporting Parents and Families’ aimed at strengthening and growing parenting and family support as an effective prevention and early intervention measure to promote the best possible outcomes for children. The Statement, together with relevant legislative provisions, constitute a clear policy platform under which Tusla provides family support services and is currently engaged in developing capability in the area through the Prevention, Participation and Family Support Programme which it launched in 2015.

In relation to foster care, a range of supports are in place to assist families throughout a child’s time in care, which can often extend beyond their eighteenth birthday. Aftercare planning is an important support, where the most important requirements for young people leaving care are for continuity of relationships, secure, suitable accommodation as well as further education, employment or training.

Tusla has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual or gender based violence whether in the context of the family or otherwise. At all times, Tusla’s key priority is to ensure that the needs of victims of domestic and sexual violence are being met in the best way possible. Tusla also has a key role in the implementation of Children First, and ensuring that all child protection concerns are brought to its attention without delay.

Section 41 of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 provides for the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to develop a Performance Framework to provide the Agency with policy guidance, direction and prioritisation parameters for the preparation of its Corporate Plan, which will in turn include the Agency’s key objectives, outputs and related strategies. This is an important function, and regular engagement takes place between my Department and Tusla in relation to its ongoing business priorities. I have already met with the Chair of the Tusla Board and the Chief Executive Officer. I look forward to active engagement with Tusla within the statutory framework, and am committed to ensuring the sufficiency of resources necessary for Tusla to achieve its many objectives.

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