Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Young Ireland: The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2023-2028, which was launched by my Department in November 2023, recognises that some groups of children and young people may have difficulties accessing their rights, including those from the Traveller community, who are refugees, or have other issues. It proposes to create an environment where the rights of all children and young people, especially those who are vulnerable, are at the centre of Government decision-making, so that their rights are fully respected and realised.

It also recognises that there are areas of significant challenge and establishes Spotlights to bring a coordinated, cross-Government focus to these issues. They have been identified as child poverty; mental health and wellbeing; and disability services. We believe that progress in these areas will be particularly beneficial to those who are vulnerable. The framework also includes a number of other actions aimed at addressing issues raised by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, by professionals and policymakers and, most importantly, by children and young people themselves.

Growing Up in Ireland, the national longitudinal study of children, informs Government policy relating to children, young people and their families. A key objective of the study is the identification of sources of inequality across all aspects of child development; this includes inequalities relating to gender, family structure, socio-economic status, and other socio-demographic indicators (including membership of minority groups). The study has repeatedly highlighted inequalities in terms of education, physical and mental well-being, and economic engagement (amongst other outcomes of child development). It will continue to act as a key source of robust, reliable and contemporary information on the nature and extent of inequalities experienced by children and young people in Ireland today.

Equal Start is the scheme that was provisionally labelled as the equal participation model. Equal Start is a funding model and set of universal and targeted measures to support access to, and participation in, early learning and childcare for children and their families who experience disadvantage.

It will consist of a series of measures to support children and their families, educators and practitioners and settings. I am pleased to advise that the work has now been finalised and Equal Start will brought to Government in the coming weeks with a view to publication in May and initial implementation to commence in September.

In January 2022, I launched Care Experiences: Journeys through the Irish Care System , a research and data project examining the lives of children in care and adults who were in care as children. This Project, which is being led by my Department in collaboration with Tusla as a key partner, will provide a wealth of new information and data concerning all children in care, young people leaving care and adults who were in care as children. The information and data this Project generates will be used to inform policy and service development for these cohorts into the future.

My Department is also working in collaboration with Tusla, the Central Statistics Office, the Department of Education and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science on a Frontier project, linking children in care data with school and employment data. Having a greater insight and empirical data on how this cohort of children and young people are getting on in their education and later on in employment will also provide very important insights to inform policy and service development.

In relation specifically to Traveller and Roma children, the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS) provides a framework for action on Traveller and Roma issues and represents a whole-of-Government approach, bringing together Government agencies, Departments, members of the Traveller and Roma communities and the NGOs that work with them. I hope to launch a revised strategy in the coming months.

My Department participates with the Department of Education in the Pilot project Supporting Travellers and Roma in Education (STAR), which was developed from a NTRIS action to “implement community-based supports to assist retention of Traveller and Roma children in the education system”. Funding is provided to local organisations in the four pilot areas for the employment of Traveller and Roma education workers. An evaluation of the project is expected to be concluded shortly.

In addition, with the support of the Dormant Accounts Fund, my Department resources the employment of dedicated Education Community Development Workers who work in co-operation with local Traveller and Roma communities, primary and post-primary schools, and other service providers to improve educational outcomes for children and young people from the Traveller and Roma communities.

Moreover, the Traveller and Roma Care Project aims is to increase the number of Traveller and Roma foster carers available to provide a culturally appropriate foster care placement for children from the Traveller and Roma communities. The aim is to recruit a pool of general foster carers for Traveller and Roma children and to encourage social workers to look at relative care when a child from either community is taken into care.

Traveller Parent Supports, which had been previously funded through the What Works initiative, have received mainstream funding from my Department from January 2024. The funding is administered by Tusla. Through the work of 11 Family Link Workers, the Traveller Support programme offers culturally sensitive parenting programmes for Traveller parents aged for their children from 1-5 years of age. The Family Link workers signpost and encourage engagement in additional services required to ensure that young Traveller children are reaching their developmental milestones and achieving their potential.

With regards to supports for children and families in the International Protection system, €2.8m in funding has been provided to the Children and Young People Services Committee (CYPSC) in 2023 (€1.3m) and 2024 (€1.5m). These funds are aimed at further developing, enhancing and expanding the provision of support services. In a project co-funded by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) DCEDIY announced the recruitment of 17 Family Support Practitioners to work with families living in international protection accommodation nationally. Additionally, as part of budget 2024 funding has been secured to provide for an International Protection Child Payment. Work is ongoing to operationalise the payment and to have it in place by the end of 2024.

In relation specifically to refugees, a key element of the International Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) whole of government’ approach to integration begins with resettlement in the community. Tusla also takes special measures to recruit specialised foster carers to offer suitable placements to separated children seeking international protection (SCSIP) in Ireland.

The integration of programme refugees is supported through the provision of access to mainstream State services. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth funds local resettlement support teams by way of grants to local authorities. Each Support Teams consist of a Resettlement Support Worker with social care and integration experience, and an Arabic-speaking Intercultural Support Worker.