Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

[Deputy Frances Fitzgerald.]
Questions— 14 February 2012. Written Answers
is currently the site of the 3 existing detention schools, Oberstown Boys School, Oberstown
Girls School and Trinity House School.
The Government is committed to ending the practice of sending 16 and 17 year old boys to
St Patrick’s institution. It is a priority of mine to ensure that this practice ends as soon as
possible and the funding of the Oberstown project is a key element in resolving this issue. I
have asked the Irish Youth Justice Service to reassess the projected cost of the Oberstown
project to bring it into line with current price levels and current economic realities. This process
is ongoing and the Irish Youth Justice Service has been tasked with progressing to completion
during 2012 the design work and tender documentation for the NCDF project. Even when
funding for the construction stage of the project is finalised, this work will still have to be
completed. I do not propose to comment on estimated project costs in advance of any
tendering process.
I had consultations on this issue with the Minister for Justice and Equality in advance of the
taking over legal responsibility for this area from 1 January 2012. I met with the Minister for
Public Expenditure and Reform on the funding of the Oberstown project on 29 November
2011, 6 December 2011 and 10 January 2012. I wrote to him on 17 January 2012 to emphasise
the priority that should be attached to this project. I do not propose to comment further on
these consultations, except to say that the House can be assured that I will continue to make
the case at Government level on the priority that should be given to this project.
Finally, in taking over responsibility for the children detention schools last month I tasked a
group to look at interim and innovative solutions that could provide alternatives to detention
in St. Patrick’s Institution for as many 16 and 17 year old boys as possible. The group is chaired
by the Secretary General of my Department and comprises of senior officials from the Irish
Youth Justice Service, Irish Prison Service, and the Probation Service. I understand that the
group is making significant progress and I expect to be in a position to provide details of the
short term measures to be taken on foot of the group’s deliberations shortly.
Family Support Services
67. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views that
the child and family support agency will not be independent from the new Health Service
Executive directorate; if she remains committed to establishing the agency independent from
the main health service organisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8118/12]
Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Deputy Frances Fitzgerald): I established the Task
Force on the Child and Family Support Agency in September 2011 in response to the Programme
for Government commitment to “fundamentally reform the delivery of child protection
services by removing child welfare and protection from the HSE and creating a dedicated
Child Welfare and Protection Agency, reforming the model of service delivery and improving
accountability to the Dáil”. The Task Force is chaired by Ms Maureen Lynott.
Child welfare and protection services are operating within the HSE during 2012 on a transitional
basis pending the establishment of a dedicated, stand alone agency next year. Such a
separate and dedicated agency remains a key part of the Government’s reform of children’s
services and I intend to bring forward legislation to establish this Agency during the current
year. The Task Force, which I have established, will advise my Department in regard to the
necessary transition programme to establish a Child and Family Support Agency, and will base
its work on best practice in child welfare, family support and public administration; consistent
with the Government’s public sector reform agenda.
In relation to the Agency it has been asked to:
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