merrion street

Today marks the second anniversary of the publication of the Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse. Acknowledging the anniversary, Minister for Children, Frances Fitzgerald said she viewed prevention of such abuse as the central part of her Department’s remit.

This report brought sharply into focus a litany of abuses inflicted upon some of the most vulnerable children in our society. The Report challenged us to address and atone for the wrongs of the past. The abuses detailed in the Commission’s report were a shocking indictment of our society. This Government is determined to take the steps necessary to ensure that we never again have to face up to such shocking and harrowing behaviour. We have set out a challenging agenda of reform of legislation, management and service delivery

The Minister said that the first major steps in the Government’s agenda of reform would come in the implementation of the HSE’s National Service Plan for 2011, which includes provision for a series of actions including:

• Recruitment of an additional 60 social workers
• The introduction of a mandatory year of limited caseload, supervision and support for newly qualified social workers in place
• The establishment of a multidisciplinary team for children in care and detention
• Enhanced services for young people leaving care in line in line with statutory commitments and aligned with implementation of the Strategic Review of the Delivery and Management of Children and Family Services
• Provision of additional counselling services to victims of child abuse
• Pilot out-of-hours sites in South and West fully operational and evaluated.

Minister Fitzgerald has indicated that she will be ensuring delivery of the HSE’s plan by personally taking over the chairing of the Oversight Group which is responsible for co-ordinating implementation. This group is required to report to the Oireachtas annually for a four year period. The first progress report was presented to both Houses in July 2010 and the second formal report will be laid before the Oireachtas shortly.

The Government has also decided to establish a dedicated agency which will have responsibility for children and family services in the future. This will affect the additional child-protection measures currently under the remit of the department of Health, which include:

• Planned recruitment of social work staff
• Revision of the Children First National Guidelines for the Welfare and Protection of Children
• The HSE National Review Panel (comprising 21 members, investigating deaths and serious incidents involving children in care and detention).
• Review of the Youth Homelessness Strategy.
• Provision of funding to the National Counselling Service to allow for the purchase of additional therapy services. The Counselling Service has also been exempted from the current moratorium on recruitment and filling of vacancies in the public service.
• Cessation of the use of separately run hostels for separated children seeking asylum.
• Commencement of research projects to ensure that the current policy framework reflects the rights and dignity of children and to evaluate the extent to which child welfare and protection services, and youth justice services, meet the aims and objectives of national child care policy
• Provision of grants (through The Education Finance Board) to former residents and their families to assist them in accessing educational programmes and personal record continue to be provided to former residents on request.