Opening Statement by Minister Frances Fitzgerald T.D.
Department of Children and Youth Affairs
to the Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs
on the 2012 Estimates
Thursday 17th May 2012
Introduction
I wish to thank the Committee for its consideration today of the 2012 Revised Estimates for the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, Vote40.
As you are aware, in 2012 my Department has been allocated gross funding of almost €427 million, including €418.6 million in current funding and €8.35 million in capital funding. When Appropriations-in-Aid receipts of just over €12.2 million are taken into account, my Department’s net current funding in 2012 is some €406.4 million.
The December Estimates provided for a gross allocation under Vote 40 of €408m. This amount has increased in the Revised Estimates to almost €427 million, due to the inclusion of funding for the children’s detention schools under the Irish Youth Justice Service (IYJS), responsibility for which transferred to my Department in January of this year.
The Revised Estimates accurately reflect both the 2012 allocations forthe Department and the corresponding 2011 provisional outturns of expenditure for these programmes. Members will recall that there was a degree of complexity attaching to the financial provision for these programmes last year consequent on the setting up on the new Department. This saw the retirement mid way through the year of the Vote of the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and the transfer of funding from a range of other Votes in line with the remit of the newly expanded Department. The transfer of responsibilities is fully captured in today’s Estimate. The most recent transfers include the allocation of responsibility and funding for the Family Mediation Service to the Department of Justice and Equality and - as mentioned funding for the children’s detention schools operated by the Irish Youth Justice Service which since 1 January this year are now overseen by my Department. Completion of these transfers and the full year comparison contained in the Estimates allows for a more like-for-like presentation of expenditure trends.
It is also noted that the move to performance accounting has resulted in significant further changes to the subhead structure. The process of integrating more information on outputs under each programme has been commenced and, in line with the Government’s public service reform plan, will be further developed in subsequent years.
Overall Provision and Key Priorities
My Department’s total gross allocation in 2012,of almost €427 million, compares to a provisional outturn figure for 2011 of approximately €419 million. The 2012 current funding allocation to my Department of€418.6 million, compares favourably to theprovisional outturn figure for 2011 of€408.7 million. The Committee will be aware of the exceptionally difficult situation that prevails with regard to the public finances. This necessitates difficult decisions across all areas of public expenditure. My approach has been to emphasise the enhanced priority and mandate for children’s services which underpinned the Government’s decision to establish a dedicated Department, while promoting reforms that deliver more effective and streamlined use of scarce resources. The challenge for all of those working in the public service today or funded from the public purse is to maximise policy outcomes and service delivery. My Department has a key role to play in driving a public service reform agenda which delivers benefits for children and families.
There are severe economic constraints facing all Departments. However, I am satisfied that the provision set out in the Estimate allows for delivery of key policy outcomes including:
●the continued provision of the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education;
●the holding of a Constitutional Referendum on Children’s Rights;
●preparation for the establishment of a new Child and Family Support Agency;
●anenhanced role for the children’s detention schools in relation to 16 year old boys heretofore detained in St.Patrick’s Institution;
●the review of the educational welfare interventions, and in particular the School Completion Programme, to better target educationalparticipation within available resources;
●the reform of youth programmes; and
●the delivery of key policy reforms including a new Children and Young People’s Policy Framework and legislative reforms in the areas of child welfare and protection and adoption.
Free Pre-School Year
Not alone is the free pre-school year being maintained this year but additional funding of €12 million has been allocated to my Department to meet the cost pressures arising for the programme from the increased birth rate in recent years. The Programme for Government commits to maintaining the ECCE programme and indeed developing early childhood care and education as resources allow. Demographic factors mean there will be an expected increase of some 3,000 in the number of children participating in the programme this year. The funding for the ECCE Pre-School Year in provided under Programme B of the Estimate and will total almost €176 million this year. The expected output for the year is the provision of free places for 67,000 children or 95 percent of those eligible. The other childcare schemes operated by my Department are the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme and the Community Education and Training Support programme. Both schemes are being maintained. As announced in the Budget, some reductions are being made to the capitation fees under the ECCE programme and the childcare schemes to contribute towards the overall increase in costs being experienced in this area. The Estimate also provides for a new capital small grant scheme for renovation or re-equipping by existing providers participating in childcare schemes operated by the Department. Some €6 million is available with some 2,300 applications received and currently being assessed with a value of €60 million.
Constitutional Referendum on Children
Some €3 million is provided under Programme C in respect of the holding of a Constitutional Referendum on Children’s Rights. The delivery of the necessary legislative and administrative arrangements for the holding of the referendum is identified as a key output and I am pleased to say that a considerable body of work has already been undertaken by my Department in this regard. The Government has agreed that the Referendum will be conducted on a stand alone basis later this year. This is an historic opportunity to copper fasten the interests of children within our Constitution and I look forward to working with the Committee in the coming months in advancing consideration of this matter.
Child and Family Support Agency
A very significant amount of work has been undertaken to deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to establish a dedicated Child and Family Support Agency. The completion of the establishment process for the new Agency is included as an output target in today’s Estimate. Provision is made in Programme A for potential start-up costs associated with the establishment of the new Agency. We are working to an ambitioustimetable that will see the new Agency introduced in January of next year. I look forward to working with the Committee on the legislative aspects of this reform later in the year. Meanwhile, in the HSE Vote (Vote 39) the funding of child welfare and protection services has been provided for the first time within a dedicated sub-head. While this Vote is not under consideration today, I note that this reflects a €21 million increase on last year’s provision. The introduction of this dedicated subhead assists in providing budgetary transparency and accountability for the management of these resources and will facilitate the transfer of funding to the new Child and Family Support Agency on its establishment.
The Child and Family Support Agency will also encompass the responsibilities and servicescurrently funded by the Family Support Agency. The 2012 provision for the Family Support Agency is over €26 million. While this represents a reduction on the 2011 outturn, the greater coordination of the Family Support Agency activities with others transferring to the new Child and Family Support Agency provides great opportunity to improve efficiency and effectiveness. In particular, I believe the location of the Family Resource Centre programme within the new Agency provides a tremendous opportunity to ensure that the Agency is responsive to communities and seeks in the first instance to build upon their existing strengths and resources.
Children’s Detention Schools
Revenue provision of €16.8 million is included the children’s detention schools under Programme A of the Estimate. In April I announced a major €50 million capital investment in children’s detention schools. This funding will be provided over the period 2013 to 2015 with design, tendering and contracting to be completed this year. This project will see the replacement of existing facilities at Oberstown and the introduction of sufficient capacity to accommodate 16 and 17 year old boys who heretofore have been sent to St.Patrick’s Institution. This reform has been long promised and there has been a very wide welcome for it from, amongst others, the Children’s Rights Alliance, the Ombudsman for Children, the Penal Reform Trust, the Irish Association for Social Care Workers and trade unions. I have already instituted a major change in introducing a Statutory Instrument which from 1 May last redirected newly remanded or sentenced 16 year olds to Oberstown. This has proven possible within the existing capacity, staffing and resources of the children’s detention schools and I want to welcome the cooperation of staff in implementing this change. Further development of the Oberstown facilities will take place until finally within a short period as a country we can say that all children referred by the courts for detention are accommodated in a children’s environment.
Educational Welfare
Provision is also made under Programme A for the costs of the National Education Welfare Board (NEWB) and the School Completion Programme. The €9.6 million provision for the NEWB provides for the costs of Educational Welfare Officers to follow up on school attendance issues across the country. During 2011 expenditure was lower than budgeted due to staff vacancies. My Department is liaising with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the replacement of key vacancies in order to assist in tackling issues of school attendance. We know that outcomes for children, now and in later life, are influenced by their continued participation in the education system and the NEWB is working with schools to make the response to educational welfare as effective as possible. The Government is committed to reviewing the role of the NEWB in the context of the establishment of the Child and Family Support Agency by the end of June next. I believe that, whatever the future shape of the Board’s operations and its relationship with the new Agency, there is potential to further improve linkages not just with schools but with other services interacting with children, particularly vulnerable children. The Board is responsible for the School Completion Programme for which some €28 million is being made available. My Department and the NEWB are currently reviewing the different costs and outcomes across School Completion projects with a view to informing allocations for the new school year in September.
Youth Programmes
Just under €57 million in revenue funding is being provided for Youth services under Programme B. These services are delivered by 31 national organisations, 516 local projects and 1,560 local youth groups. The output from this sector is impressive, with some 400,000 young people in receipt of services. With so many organisations involved there is a question as to whether delivery is as efficient as it could be with resources targeted as much as possible at enhancing the quality of supports to young people. This is underlined by the fact that due to historical reasons this funding has been distributed through a range of different schemes including the:
- Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund;
- Local Drugs Task Force Projects;
- Special Projects for Youth Scheme;
- Youth Information Centres;
- Youth Service Grant Scheme; and the
- Local Youth Clubs Grant scheme
Often the same youth service providers receive funding under multiple schemes. Work is underway to review funding schemes and streamline arrangements so that funding is flexibly targeted at achieving agreed outcomes based upon local needs and there is a reduction in the necessity to apply and account for funding under multiple headings. The reform of funding arrangements and the review of existing grants will be used to generate financial savings in a way that seeks to maintain the effectiveness of this programme.
Policy and Legislative Reform
There is approximately 130 whole-time equivalent staff employed in my Department. These staff are responsible for the operation of the various funding schemes outlined earlier in areas such as childcare, youth programmes and the management of the Irish Youth Justice Service. They are also responsible for the conduct of the normal parliamentary, public and corporate responsibilities of a Government department. In addition, my Department is overseeing a major reform agenda for children’s services. I have mentioned Constitutional reform and the operational reform associated with the establishment of the Child and Family Support Agency. In addition, within its staffing constraints, my Department is working across Government on a range of policy issues to improve social and economic policies relevant to children. A key vehicle for this is the development this year of a Children and Young People’s Policy Framework to cover the period 2012-2017. My Department is also developing Ireland’s first ever Early Year’s Strategy for those aged up to 6 years.
Members will also be aware of the work underway to reform child protection legislation. I am very grateful to the Committee for the manner in which it has undertaken hearings in relation to the draft Heads of the Children First Bill. I have no doubt that the legislation will benefit from this early engagement and I look forward to the outcome of your deliberations. The Department’s legislative programme also includes adoption legislation and the amendment of the Child Care Act as it relates to the detention schools;in addition to work associated with the Referendum and the establishment of the new Agency which I have referred to earlier.
My Department also undertakes significant activities in the areas of children’s research and participation. A key contribution in the research area is the National Longitudinal Study – Growing Up in Ireland. This study is increasingly the first port of call for policy makers, researchers and, indeed, interested members of the public in seeking to better understand children’s lives.
Conclusion
The Department was formally established in June of last year. I believe the work undertaken in the short space of time since then is now bearing significant fruit. The reform of children’s policies and services will, I believe, become further evident in the months ahead. I will be happy to continue to work with the Committee on this reform agenda.
In particular, I look forward to assisting the Committee today on its examination of the 2012 Estimate.
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