Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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886. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her vision for the provision of comprehensive child protection services in the home or State-supported institutions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24041/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The shared vision of the Government in relation to child welfare and protection is that children are safe and protected wherever they are. While my Department has a key role in this, as does Tusla, responsibility for children is shared by all sectors of society, including parents, Government departments, statutory and non statutory agencies and service providers.

There have been recent key developments in relation to child protection. The Children First Act 2015 (the Act) was signed into law on 19 November 2015. The introduction of this legislation was in line with a key Programme for Government commitment, and it represents an important addition to the child welfare and protection system as it will help to ensure that child protection concerns are brought to the attention of Tusla without delay, and will place an explicit responsibility on providers of services to children to keep children safe, and to put in place procedures to manage any risk.

The Act provides for mandatory reporting by key professionals; comprehensive risk assessment and planning for a strong organisational culture of ‘safe’ places for all services provided to children; a provision for a register of non-compliance; and the statutory underpinning of the existing Children First Interdepartmental Implementation Group which promotes and oversees cross-sectoral implementation and compliance with Children First.

The legislation will operate side-by-side with the existing non-statutory obligations provided for in Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2011. The Guidance is currently being revised and updated to take account of the new legislative obligations so as to provide in one place a comprehensive reference resource for individuals and organisations.

A Children First Implementation Inter-Departmental Group was established to promote the importance of Children First compliance across Government and to ensure a consistent approach is adopted. The legislation includes a provision to place this Group on a statutory basis and to expand its membership to include all Government Departments. This reflects the importance that is being attached to all Departments, sectors, agencies and services fully complying with the ethos of Children First, and their specific statutory and non-statutory responsibilities.

Taken together, the Children First Act and the Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences Against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012, along with the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012, represent a significant legislative framework to promote the welfare and protection of children.