Child and Family Agency officially begins operations

A major reorganisation of child protection and family support services begins today with the establishment of the Child and Family Agency.

But the finalising of budgets to run the agency will not be concluded for some weeks, and the drawing up of a three-year action plan may not be completed for months.

Frances Fitzgerald, the minister for children and youth affairs, said the agency would provide a more integrated and effective approach to child welfare.

“It represents the most comprehensive reform of child protection, early intervention, and family support services ever undertaken in Ireland,” she said.

“It is a concerted response to critical systematic failures in delivering services to vulnerable children, evidenced in a number of reports over recent years.”

As of today, the agency takes over the work of the HSE’s Child and Family Services, the Family Support Agency, the National Educational Welfare Board, pre-school inspection services, domestic and sexual violence services, and community psychological services.

Around 4,000 staff from those various services are being brought under the agency’s management, making it one of the country’s biggest public sector agencies.

Staff from the Family Support Agency and National Educational Welfare Board transferred across last month but the transfer of some HSE staff was continuing up to recent days.

An estimated budget of €600m is required this year but details have to be finalised and will be brought before the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children later this month. An action plan will follow within six months.

Ms Fitzgerald said the reorganisation project was “very ambitious”, adding: “While many challenges remain and while more service developments are needed and planned, this major organisational reform in itself lays the foundations for development of a world-class child protection, welfare and family support service in Ireland.”