Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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2061. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the new guidelines that are being suggested for HIQA, specifically the new regulations to replace the National Standards for Foster Care with the new Child Care Services Standard. [36419/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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HIQA has a remit under the Health Act 2007 to set standards for Ireland's health and social care services, and to monitor services against these standards.

HIQA has advised the Department of Health that a draft set of standards for Children's Social Services have been developed in line with HIQA’s standards development process. The draft standards have been informed by an evidence review, which is published on www.hiqa.ie, a public scoping consultation, feedback from an Advisory Group made up of a diverse range of interested and informed parties convened to inform the development of the standards, targeted focus groups with a wide range of key stakeholders in the area of children’s social services, and a six-week public consultation which ran from 10 March to 21 April 2021.

HIQA has advised the Department of Health it is within HIQA's remit to develop supports to facilitate effective communication within and between services, and with children, families and foster carers.

HIQA has advised the Department of Health that it is continuing to engage with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth as policy-makers, and with Tusla as the national service provider and commissioner of services, to identify and progress the development and implementation of the Draft National Standards for Children’s Social Services.