This chapter analyses the development of Young Ireland, Ireland’s National Policy Framework for Children and Young People (0-24) 2023-2028 through a benchmarking exercise employing the eight principles of the OECD Framework for National Youth Strategies. The analysis sheds light on the extent to which the governance arrangements of Young Ireland can be considered evidence-based, participatory, resourced, transparent and accessible, accountable, cross-sectoral, responsive to the needs of vulnerable groups, and supported by high-level political commitment. It also discusses current practice and potential to streamline the governance arrangements underpinning DCEDIY-led constituent strategies, including but not limited to First 5 and the European Child Guarantee National Action Plan, to foster policy coherence.
Together for Children and Young People in Ireland
8. Implications for the governance arrangements underpinning Young Ireland and policy coherence in Ireland’s child and youth policy context
Abstract
Young Ireland: The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2023-2028
This section analyses Young Ireland, Ireland’s national child and policy framework, focused on tackling challenges that affect children and young people, and setting up structures to promote children’s rights in public decision-making. The analysis is made through the lens of the eight principles of the OECD Assessment Framework for National Youth Strategies (hereafter referred to as the “OECD Assessment Framework”). The analysis draws from findings in previous chapters of this Report to identify lessons learned, which shall inform the design of effective governance arrangements for Young Ireland. Given that the publication of Young Ireland is contemporary to this analysis, this chapter cannot assess whether the framework delivered on its commitments.
The OECD Assessment Framework identifies eight governance dimensions to guide policymakers in the elaboration and implementation of national child and youth strategies. Each dimension mirrors OECD instruments that codify OECD standards in public governance, notably the OECD Recommendation on Creating Better Opportunities for Young People and OECD Recommendations in the field of open government, gender equality in public life budgetary governance, policy coherence for sustainable development (OECD, 2016[1]; 2022[2]; 2017[3]; 2015[4]; 2019[5]). In line with this framework, this Chapter will shed light on the extent to which Young Ireland follows an approach that can be considered evidence-based; participatory; resourced; transparent and accessible; accountable; cross-sectoral; responsive to the needs of vulnerable groups, and supported by high-level political commitment (OECD, 2020[6]).
While each dimension is analysed separately in the following sections, findings under each are intertwined with each other and are hence mutually reinforcing. OECD findings indeed demonstrate that positive outcomes in one dimension are associated with positive outcomes in others. Therefore, policymakers should seek to consider and address possible gaps holistically (OECD, 2020[6]).
Governance reforms under Young Ireland
The development of Young Ireland was informed by a series of consultative processes across government and with civil society groups, in addition to reports and reviews (the mid-term and final report most notably), of BOBF 2024-20 (DCEDIY, 2020[7]). Most importantly, consultation with children and young people themselves were critical to the development of the policy, through the What We Think reports, and targeted consultations with groups who may not have been specifically consulted by Government before. While the DCEDIY determined early on in its inception that the five national outcomes would remain the same, significant effort was made to respond to challenges of the predecessor framework (e.g., narrowing down the scope and focus, strengthening policy co-ordination across departments and agencies) by introducing new governance arrangements and actions to foster an ‘enabling environment’ to deliver policies and services for children and young people. The Spotlights Initiative described in Chapter 4, for instance, was developed as part of these provisions.
As also discussed in Chapter 4, the governance structures developed under BOBF 2014-20 were originally designed to foster the efficient and effective implementation of the framework, ensuring accountability, and providing a forum for stakeholder engagement by consolidating existing consultative bodies and interdepartmental processes into three main groups. These included: the Children and Young People’s Policy Consortium, the Sponsors Group, and the Advisory Council. Other structures were also identified as playing a core part in the implementation of BOBF 2014-20, including the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy, the Children and Young People’s Services Committees (CYPSC) National Steering Group, the Comhairle na nÓg National Executive, the Structured Dialogue working Group, and the BOBF 2014-20 Implementation Team. At the conclusion of BOBF 2014-20, relevant implementation structures were disbanded, and a review process was conducted to inform the reconsolidation of structures under Young Ireland. Feedback collected by the DCEDIY through, for instance, the 2020 Annual Review and the Mid-Term Review of BOBF (DCEDIY, 2020[7]), showed that while the structures had been generally useful, further work was needed to secure high-level commitment and representation, address challenges related to staff turnover, and improve inter-departmental and inter-agency co-ordination. The governance arrangements underpinning Young Ireland redefine responsibilities and membership under various structures are described as follows (DCEDIY, 2023[8]):
The Cabinet Committee on Children and Education and Senior Officials Group: The Cabinet Committee includes the Taoiseach (Prime Minister), Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister), and 11 Ministers.1 It oversees the implementation of Programme for Government commitments, including Young Ireland, with a specific focus on child poverty and well-being. It is supported by the Senior Officials Group on Children and Education, which is given a greater role under Young Ireland compared to its predecessor, as it is intended to act as the key structure driving cross-governmental measures in the strategy.
Children and Young People’s Policy Forum: Chaired by the Minister of CEDIY with a Deputy Chair from the Department of the Taoiseach, the new Policy Forum sees changes in its membership requirements to include Assistant Secretary-level members from all government departments and relevant agencies. It also features representation from the Children and Young People’s Advisory Council. The Forum oversees and supports the implementation of policies impacting children and young people across government departments, agencies, and sectors, including through the development of (existing and future) “Spotlights” (see Chapter 4). As part of its remit, the Forum can establish interdepartmental or interagency subgroups to address cross-Government issues arising during the lifetime of Young Ireland. Terms of Reference and a Work Programme for the Forum were under development by DCEDIY as of February 2024. It was also decided to include representation from CYPSC and Local Authorities in the Forum, with specific arrangements unclear as of March 2024.
Young Ireland Advisory Council: The Advisory Council was reestablished from its BOBF predecessor to serve as a forum to enable civil society groups, the voluntary sector, and experts to engage with the Policy Forum to advise on the development and implementation of policies. With the aim of increasing the representativeness and diversity of its 16 members from its previous iteration, the new Council seeks to broaden its membership, now including representatives with expertise on key issues including disability, mental health, inequality, child poverty, to name a few. Two members of the Youth Assembly also sit on the Council.
Children and Young People’s Participation Structures: Child and youth stakeholders will be able to engage in the implementation of Young Ireland through the National Youth Assembly of Ireland, which includes delegates from Comhairle na nÓg, Young Voices: the EU Youth Dialogue, representatives from youth organisations, and guest delegates. Changes in this area include the development of new participation plans (see Chapter 5).
Implementation Team: Composed of officials from DCEDIY, this (re-consolidated) Team supports the functioning of governance structures being established under Young Ireland, drives the delivery of initiatives to build an Enabling Environment (see below) for policy planning and delivery, including leading a new communications platform to promote the rights of children and young people.
As discussed in Chapter 4 and 7, the Sponsors Group, which served to gather lead departments in charge of individual outcomes under BOBF 2014-20, is disbanded and its co-ordination duties are transferred to the Policy Forum, whose members are tasked with coordinating all outcomes jointly. A visual of the Governance Structures of Young Ireland can be found below.
Figure 8.1. Draft DCEDIY Implementation Structures
Draft implementation structures to govern the implementation of Young Ireland
Source: DCEDIY, 2023.
In addition to these reforms and the introduction of the Spotlights initiative, eleven new actions are identified in Young Ireland to foster an Enabling Environment for policy planning and delivery for children and young people (DCEDIY, 2023[8]). These actions aim to drive systemic change to place the rights and well-being of children and young people at the centre of government decisions. Actions include 1) strengthening the participation of children and youth in government decisions, 2) improving data collection and research development, 3) continuing the development of child and youth impact assessments, 4) developing the use of child budgeting, 5) performing a legislative review to comply with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child provisions, and 6) building capacity among public servants and wider society to realise the rights of children and youth across the lifetime of Young Ireland. Further actions outlined include 7) enhancing communication and promotion of their rights within government and across society, 8) adopting a whole-of-government approach to improving parenting support, 9) improving access to youth services and development opportunities for young people, 10) strengthening inter-agency co-ordination among existing co-ordination mechanisms relevant to them, and 11) building workforce capacity.
Relevant sections below analyse the reforms on governance arrangements as well as actions under the Enabling Environment through the lens of the OECD Assessment Framework and its eight governance dimensions. Such analysis is informed by the context of ongoing reforms in the child and youth policy landscape in Ireland, including the proposed Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2023 and the new Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office in the Department of the Taoiseach, among others.
Supported by political commitment
Securing high-level political commitment to deliver for children and young people is essential to ensure buy-in across departmental portfolios and the effective mobilisation of resources.
For Young Ireland to be successful in continuing the work laid out by its predecessor, government-wide political commitment is critical. The following section maps documents attesting to manifestations of high-level political will that led to the publication of Young Ireland, falling under either of the following categories; 1) high-level statements to improve policy outcomes for children and young people as government priority, and 2) commitments to improve policy outcomes for children and young people in strategic government plans:
Programme for Government: Our Shared Future (2020): The current Programme for Government commits, under its Mission “A New Social Contract” to developing a new framework to succeed BOBF 2014-20 for the voice and views of young people to be part of decision-making at community, county and national levels (Government of Ireland, 2020[9]).
Statements and publications from the DCEDIY: Leading the implementation of the new national policy framework, DCEDIY has issued statements and publications to address current policy planning and implementation gaps, including strengthening cross-sectoral co-ordination to respond to the complex needs of children and young people in vulnerable situations (e.g., child poverty). The DCEDIY Statement of Strategy 2021-23 commits to developing a new framework, pointing to performance indicators including: 1) implementation of successor strategy to BOBF 2014-20, and 2) further development and refinement of cross-government, sectoral and inter-agency collaboration (DCEDIY, 2021[10]). In January 2022, Minister Roderic O’Gorman publicly announced DCEDIY’s plans on the new framework, including maintaining the five national outcomes and reinforcing cross-sectoral co-ordination. This announcement was made as part of launching a public consultation on the new framework (DCEDIY, 2022[11]).
The National Development Plan (NDP) 2021-2030: The NDP outlines several high-level commitments to address the needs of children and young people, particularly those living in vulnerable circumstances. Commitments include a wide thematic range, covering mental health, healthcare, homelessness, poverty, education, and engagement in sports (DPER, 2021[12]).
Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office launched by the Department of the Taoiseach (2022): Following an announcement in late 2022, the Department of the Taoiseach created a Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office, placing child poverty at the top of the Taoiseach’s agenda. The aim of these efforts, as captured in the Office’s Programme Plan (2023-2025) is to focus cross-government attention on addressing child poverty (Government of Ireland, 2023[13]).
Reports prepared by DCEDIY show that although the planning and early implementation of BOBF 2014-20 was driven by high political commitment, securing continued commitment at the highest level across departments proved to be a challenge across the lifespan of the strategy (DCEDIY, 2020[7]). Findings from interviews conducted by the OECD pointed to dwindling high-level commitment from policymakers, most notably through decreasing attendance of senior decision-makers to inter-departmental implementation group meetings, among others. OECD interviews also suggested a lacking sense of ownership and accountability across Departments to address cross-cutting policy challenges faced by children and young people, including poverty, social exclusion, and mental health (see Chapter 4).
The newly created Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office in the Department of the Taoiseach, the Taoiseach’s leadership in the Cabinet Committee and co-chairing arrangements at Assistant Secretary-level from the Department of the Taoiseach in the Policy Forum of Young Ireland denote a renewed impetus from Ireland’s Centre of Government to place the needs of children and young people at the forefront of the political agenda. Further, OECD interviews suggest that the Taoiseach may also take a steering role under a proposed National Child Care Act Advisory Committee to see the implementation of priorities of the Child Care Act 1991, as outlined in the draft Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2023. Strong engagement from the Taoiseach across such coordinating structures is crucial to leading a whole-of-government approach to delivering policies and services for children and young people. At the same time, it raises questions over ensuring that the information shared in, and roles of, such coordinating bodies does not lead to overlaps and redundancy. Reviews of BOBF 2014-20 and OECD interviews point to the need for clearer accountability lines across structures, as well as clearly assigned thematic priorities for each to define their strategic purpose.
OECD findings show that the location of the lead entity in charge of (child and) youth affairs within government can have an impact on its functions, resources, and scope of influence (OECD, 2020[6]). In Box 8.1, the cases of New Zealand and Finland are discussed. Both countries have seen child affairs be led by the Centre of Government and through a dedicated ministry. These examples provide relevant considerations to Ireland in the context of rolling out the implementation of Young Ireland, led by DCEDIY, and the Programme Plan ‘From Poverty to Potential: A Programme Plan for Child Well-being 2023-2025’, led by the Child Poverty and Wellbeing Programme Office in the Department of the Taoiseach.
Box 8.1. Placing child and youth policy at the Centre of Government
Finland: Moving ownership for child policy from the CoG to a line ministry can leverage policy expertise but may decrease convening power and ownership across stakeholders
In Finland, the government established a National Child Strategy Group under the auspices of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, as well as a Secretary General under the Prime Minister’s Office to drive planning and co-ordination of the National Child Strategy and to strengthen inter-agency and inter-ministerial co-operation. In 2022, the function of the Secretary General was transferred under the role of Leading Specialist under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, with the current structure of four staff being established in 2023.
According to OECD interviews, a higher level of commitment to achieve cross-cutting objectives set out in the Strategy was perceived across ministries when co-ordination was led by the Secretary General in the Prime Minister’s Office. It helped establish a network of policymakers from across relevant ministries to consult and discuss policy priorities under the Strategy’s implementation plans. OECD interviews suggest that this network has been successful in facilitating policy co-ordination and information sharing.
With the establishment of a National Child Strategy Group within the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (MoSAH), and the lack of continuous CoG involvement, OECD interviews suggest a possible risk that the National Child Strategy be perceived by line ministries as a sole responsibility of this ministry rather than a whole-of-government priority. At the same time, the consolidated Unit inside MoSAH reports increased capacity to leverage policy expertise from within the Ministry. Following the consolidation of the National Child Strategy Group it continues to keep some level of autonomy regarding the implementation of the National Child Strategy. This is most evident through the way in which overall achievements of the Strategy are communicated to other Ministries and the wider public, including a website that is detached from MoSAH.
New Zealand: High-level visibility and ministerial buy-in but changing political priorities may impact policy continuity
Tackling child poverty was established as a high-level policy priority in New Zealand in 2018, when a Child Wellbeing and Poverty Reduction Group (CWPRG) was established under the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to drive the country’s Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy and child poverty reduction work programme. Strong commitment at the highest level was demonstrated by the near unanimous parliamentary support to pass the Child Poverty Reduction Act 2018 and the Children’s Amendment Act 2018, which set a statutory basis to ensure Ministerial commitments to reduce child poverty and improve child wellbeing. Since the Strategy was launched in 2019, the Minister for Child Poverty Reduction has provided ministerial leadership and oversight of the Strategy.
OECD interviews suggest that the focus of placing child wellbeing as a core policy priority at the highest political level resulted in strong convening power to engage relevant Ministries and agencies in the Strategy’s implementation. Given its capacities and expertise, the Department of the Prime Minister has focused on driving co-ordination and reporting on progress on child wellbeing, while relying on Ministries to take policy-specific decisions as well as manage data collection and monitoring. Changes at the highest political level have at least temporarily impacted the priorities set around addressing child poverty and improving child wellbeing.
Cross-sectoral / transversal
As discussed in Chapter 4, given the transversal nature of child and youth policy, effective cross-sectoral approaches are critical to overcome administrative silos in the delivery of programmes and services by government departments, agencies, and other stakeholders. A cross-sectoral strategy is defined as a framework that covers all relevant policy and service areas, based on effective co-ordination mechanisms among different ministries, across different levels of government, and with the participation of public bodies responsible for, and working on, issues affecting children and young people (OECD, 2020[6]).
Most national child and youth strategies across OECD countries acknowledge the importance of transversality in their design. However, countries often face practical challenges to collaborate across sectors, and to deliver holistic approaches (OECD, 2020[6]). OECD findings show that some of the most important barriers to inter-ministerial co-ordination in youth policy include an absence of institutional mechanisms to encourage co-ordination (45% of central youth entities across OECD countries pointed to this as a key challenge). Common barriers also include insufficient capacities in line ministries (42%), insufficient capacities within the government entity leading on youth affairs (39%), and a lack of interest from line ministries (20%).
Strengthening cross-government and inter-agency collaboration is a core priority of the DCEDIY, as demonstrated by the Department’s spearheading efforts to foster political commitment from line Departments throughout the elaboration and implementation of Young Ireland. As pointed by reviews of the predecessor framework, reforms on policy co-ordination structures under Young Ireland are motivated by the need to secure high-level, appropriate, and effective representation across Departments, simplifying organisational structures, strengthening cross-sectoral co-ordination and breaking silos, and streamlining governance processes across national, sectoral, and DCEDIY-led constituent strategies (see Chapter 4 and relevant sections in this chapter).
Involving Departments throughout the policy cycle
Involving key stakeholders early in the policy cycle can help foster a sense of (shared) ownership, co-operation, and accountability, as well as anticipate possible co-ordination and implementation challenges (OECD, 2020[6]; DCEDIY, 2020[7]). The DCEDIY has led efforts to involve relevant Departments in the planning and development of Young Ireland. Bilateral meetings between the DCEDIY and relevant Departments were conducted between October 2022 and January 2023 to discuss key areas of focus and actions to be put forward for inclusion in Young Ireland. Broad Framework objectives were also discussed at four meetings of a Government Reference Panel, convened in October 2022, and including high-level policymakers from across government departments relevant to the implementation of child and youth policies. In March 2023, the DCEDIY circulated proposed actions to Departmental representatives on the Government Reference Panel. Departments were also encouraged to include actions of their own. The proposals included a discussion on identifying key issues as presented in consultations, data, and research; setting out proposed outcomes; and proposing actions for each Department. Departments were invited to consider these, amend them, and put forward alternatives where these were considered necessary.
While commitments under the five national outcomes will be implemented by their respective Departments, establishing a sense of continued ownership and accountability throughout the implementation of Young Ireland is critical. The Policy Forum, discussed in the following sections, provides an opportunity for ongoing engagement from all departments to drive co-ordination and strengthen monitoring and evaluation practices across the whole of government.
Findings from the BOBF 2014-20 mid-term review and annual reports pointed to the need to narrow down the focus of policy areas of its predecessor and to strengthen policy co-ordination, particularly to address the needs of children and youth with complex needs (DCEDIY, 2020[7]; DCEDIY, 2018[16]). As discussed in Chapter 4, the Spotlights Initiatives were developed under Young Ireland to place complex challenges at the forefront of the policy agenda and to create a sense of shared ownership and accountability for these among all relevant departments and agencies. At the time of writing, no unified approach to developing spotlights has been identified, raising questions over disparities on implementation of currently identified spotlight priorities over time. According to DCEDIY, further spotlights beyond child poverty, mental health and well-being, and disability may still be identified in future if needed, based on (DCEDIY, 2022[17]):
The need for a coordinated approach and actions across Government;
Significant areas of concern for children and young people identified in published data, and evidence from published sources;
Feedback from consultations with children, young people, and other stakeholders, as well as reports on areas where action is needed.
The establishment of the Child Poverty and Wellbeing Programme Office in the Department of the Taoiseach materialises the government’s commitment to prioritise addressing child poverty and is listed under Young Ireland as the Spotlight on child poverty. The spotlight on child and youth mental health and well-being, as well as the disability services spotlight also brings together key stakeholders from across government departments and agencies to drive the co-ordination of relevant policies through working groups and other relevant co-ordination arrangements. In the development of these spotlights, adequate communication mechanisms between stakeholders coordinating these and the Policy Forum will be critical, as well as clearly defined membership, purpose, and roles to avoid overlaps. Further, the Spotlights Initiatives also provides an opportunity to identify incentives to drive policy co-ordination in the long term (e.g., financial incentives and pooled funding examples discussed in Chapter 4 as envisaged initially). Another opportunity the Spotlights model presents is to foresee future issues related to children and young people, and to develop a systematic approach to aligning long-term priorities with shorter term policy goals.
OECD evidence on the subject shows that developing incentives and interest to promote co-operation across institutions is a precondition to effectively drive cross-sectoral work. In fact, in 2017, according to the Survey on the Organisation and Functions of the Centre of Government, 40% of surveyed OECD countries (18) cited individual or collective performance targets as existing incentives for policy co-ordination across ministries or departments. In France, for instance, each Central Administration Director (directeur d’adminstration centrale) receives a mandate letter with co-operation objectives to be met. Further, 7 OECD countries confirmed the existence of financial incentives to promote horizontal co-ordination as od 2018, although in most cases this seemed to reflect funding available for cross-cutting projects (OECD, 2018[18]). As shown in Chapter 4, interviews conducted by the OECD with line Departments and agencies in Ireland found that improving co-operation incentives is needed to encourage cross-departmental efforts and support positive change in the administrative culture. On the other hand, these interviews reflected that siloed funding streams were seen as significant barrier to encourage cross-Departmental collaboration. At the time of writing, it is not envisaged that financial incentives (e.g., pooling of resources) will be provided to strengthen co-operation across Departments in Ireland.
Establishing horizontal (inter-Departmental) co-ordination mechanisms
Most OECD countries have established some form of inter-departmental body, working group or focal point system to formalise inter-Departmental co-ordination in youth policy. For instance, several countries have established inter-departmental committees or interagency working groups. Slovenia and Belgium have appointed focal points to facilitate the co-ordination of youth affairs across agencies (in the Belgian example) and departments (OECD, 2020[6]).
The success of co-ordination mechanisms partially rests on equipping line Departments with adequate administrative capacity (e.g., human, financial and technical) to collect age-disaggregated evidence, engage in inter-ministerial co-ordination, and mainstream policies to deliver on complex policy areas related to children and young people. Interviews conducted by OECD suggest that appointing representatives with decision-making responsibility, and leveraging these mechanisms to solve practical challenges rather than fulfil bureaucratic requirements is equally important.
Moving away from the structure of BOBF 2014-20 which saw specific departments leading on one of the five national outcomes, it is planned that department representatives under Young Ireland work collaboratively through the Policy Forum to drive cross-sectoral co-ordination across all outcomes. Success of the Policy Forum will rest on addressing challenges raised by departmental representatives at the conclusion of the previous national policy framework. These include, for instance, issues related to co-ordination fatigue, unclear allocation of responsibilities, low capacities to engage in governance structures, and a lack of ownership over cross sectoral issues. Further, broader challenges including policy short-termism and changing or unclear policy priorities under the predecessor framework, differences in budgeting and planning cycles across departments delivering on commitments under Young Ireland, unclear lines of accountability across coordinating structures, and ensuring that co-ordination meetings serve to drive the co-ordination of policy priorities beyond enabling information sharing were also noted (see Chapter 4).
Reforms under the new structure of the Policy Forum seek to address several of the challenges above mentioned, including a clear requirement to secure high-level representation of departments in coordinating meetings, and fostering a shared ownership of policy priorities. The development of the Terms of Reference of the Policy Forum provides an opportunity to address issues raised by department representatives on, for instance, defining the expected impact (e.g., sharing an understanding of policy challenges and priorities, driving policy co-ordination) and regularity of meetings of the Forum (e.g., quarterly, annually). This also serves as an opportunity to clarify the extent to which departments can have an impact and influence over other departments’ work and on cross-sectoral issues through consultation or lobbying, as well as the role of the centre of government in harmonising priorities across departments on complex and multisectoral issues. Further, and in alignment with broader OECD findings on good practice, the Terms of Reference could set specific mandates and performance targets for the Forum to drive the implementation of periodic Work Programmes (e.g., through mandate letters from the CoG and the DCEDIY to departments with objectives to be met) (OECD, 2024[19]). Managing relationships between departments and with the legislative, both through formal and informal channels, (e.g., foreseeing and coordinating opportunities for consultation within government, incentivising partnerships between departments) is also key to ensuring effective and streamlined co-ordination and would be an appropriate responsibility of the Forum. Examples from across the OECD show that the effective implementation of national integrated child and youth strategies relies on the establishment of co-ordination mechanisms to drive policy objectives horizontally and vertically. The following box illustrates examples to coordinating the implementation of national child and youth strategies in Finland and Spain.
Box 8.2. Coordinating the implementation of national child and youth strategies
Finland: Taskforces, Ministerial Working Groups, and Civil Servant Networks
Representatives across different administrative branches were consulted in the elaboration of Finland’s National Child Strategy in 2020 to define expected outcomes in line with existing work streams across government. Their work was complemented by a working group formed by representatives from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, international organisations (e.g., UNICEF) and civil society organisations.
A Working Group on Children, Youth and Families, established at Minister level oversees the National Child Strategy. It includes the Ministers of Education, Social Security, Agriculture and Forestry, Social Affairs and Health, Science and Culture, and the Interior. Further, a Civil Servants Network was created to carry out cross-ministerial work to support the preparation and implementation of the Strategy. It was closely involved in the preparation of the first follow-up report to the Strategy and is involved in preparing the new Implementation Plan, which is expected to be published in Winter 2024.
This Network includes representatives from all Ministries, apart from the Ministry of Defence, and hosts regular meetings (approx. 8 meetings per year). Discussions are focused on the Strategy’s Implementation Plan. OECD interviews suggest that the Network has been instrumental to identify potential areas of overlap and ensure policy co-ordination at technical level.
Spain: Strengthening co-ordination between the national and subnational level
In Spain, policy planning and delivery is largely decentralised to the subnational level through the Autonomous Communities. The Sectoral Conference on Childhood and Adolescence, set up in 2021, is the main co-ordination mechanism to coordinate child and youth policies across regions, and to strengthen policy coherence between the national and subnational level.
This Conference brings together the Ministry and Social Rights and Agenda 2030 (the lead entity of child and youth policy), Autonomous Communities, and local authorities. It meets every semester, and is chaired by the Ministry, with vice-chairing from representatives from the Autonomous Communities and the High Commissioner against Child Poverty. Each Autonomous Community sends a representative to the Conference, who has decision-making power over, and expertise on, child and adolescent policies. Established by law, the minimum required rank for this representative is that of Deputy Director General, which ensures regular participation of high-level representatives across regions. A representative from the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces is also present at meetings.
At least twelve Agreements have been reached by the Conference through this co-ordination mechanism to distribute and employ central funding to finance initiatives for children and adolescents across regions. These Agreements serve to harmonise practices and create joint agreements on the implementation of initiatives, from their planning to their implementation, to their monitoring and evaluation.
Establishing co-ordination mechanisms at subnational level, and between national and subnational levels of government
Most government services critical to children and young people in Ireland are provided locally. Collaboration at a subnational level, and between national and subnational government levels, is hence critical to translate policy commitments into effective programmes and tailored services on the ground, notably for children and young people from marginalised backgrounds (OECD, 2020[6]).
The revamping of co-ordination structures underpinning the implementation of Young Ireland provides an opportunity to address challenges presented in Chapter 4 in relation to strengthening co-ordination among providers of services for children and young people at subnational level in Ireland. For instance, differences in planning and funding cycles between key local actors (e.g., Children and Young People’s Services Committees and Local Community Development Committees), discrepancies between high-level policy priorities and service delivery practices, limited budgets dedicated to programming and administrative support for local implementation structures, and the duplication of local coordinating structures were all considered by OECD interviewees as key challenges to delivering more tailored and responsive programmes and support .
According to the interviews conducted, the lack of effective co-ordination tends to disproportionately affect children and young people from vulnerable backgrounds and with more complex needs. For instance, variance in capacities and resourcing of local service delivery across local authority areas has led to geographical disparities in access to coordinated services. Further, two high-level cases documented by the Ombudsman for Children Office highlighted that those with complex needs often face challenges to access adequate services at an agency level (Ombudsman for Children’s Office, 2020[23]; Ombudsman for Children’s Office, 2018[24]) (see Chapters 2 and 4). These cases denote important challenges regarding setting clear accountability lines in cases where children and young people present needs that require integrated responses from multiple government agencies.
The CYPSC National Steering Group of BOBF 2014-20 will not be reinstated under Young Ireland. According to DCEDIY, local authorities and CYPSC will instead be represented under the Policy Forum as discussed in previous sections. Further, as part of the ‘Interagency Co-ordination’ stream of the ‘Enabling Environment’ actions, a set of initiatives are to be taken forth by DCEDIY to strengthen co-operation between national and subnational government bodies. For instance, in January 2024, the Centre for Effective Services (CES) launched a review of CYPSC commissioned by DCEDIY. The review seeks to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of CYPSC and inform a three-year roadmap to guide the direction and resourcing of the Committees and support them to implement commitments under Young Ireland. The Review, to be completed by end of 2024, includes desk research exercises, surveys to the entire CYPSC membership, and focus group discussions with relevant stakeholders. DCEDIY also plans to continue developing and supporting Child and Family Support Networks (CFSNs) by providing trainings and guidance to CFSN members and ensuring that these can provide feedback to local and national planning in a regular and structured manner.
Participatory
Adopting a participatory approach, or the process of engaging all relevant stakeholders at all stages of the policy cycle, from the elaboration and implementation to monitoring and evaluation, is key to ensuring that Young Ireland is informed by the needs and interests of children and young people from diverse backgrounds (OECD, 2020[6]). As discussed in Chapter 5, the DCEDIY has established several frameworks, tools, and structures to foster child and youth consultation and engagement, notably the National Strategy on Children and Young People’s Participation in Decision-Making 2015-20 and its successor strategy currently in development (DCEDIY, 2019[25]). Harnessing these structures, in the development of Young Ireland, DCEDIY engaged extensively with stakeholders that may influence or may be impacted by the new Framework.
Three reports summarising consultation activities leading to the development of Young Ireland are published on the government’s website along the new Framework. These include a Final Report on Public Consultation, a Minority Ethnic Young People Consultation, and a Young Carers Consultation Report. The development of consultation activities informing Young Ireland and the contents of these reports are analysed in the following sections.
Meaningful participation of youth organisations, youth workers and non-organised youth
The meaningful involvement of child and youth stakeholders in the development of the new Framework includes a range of steps, including identifying the issues at hand and defining expected results of the participation process (OECD, 2022[26]). The results of previous relevant consultations can also be a useful reference when identifying key issues, and taking these into account when drafting new consultation plans can be an effective way to ensure stakeholders see the impact of their voice on government plans and decisions and avoid ‘consultation fatigue’.
Prior to the development of Young Ireland, DCEDIY led an extensive consultation in 2021 with children and young people to inform Ireland’s reports on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the Universal Periodic Review. According to DCEDIY, this consultation process, along with a literature review of other consultations with children and young people related to BOBF 2014-20, informed the planning of the consultation process for, and the drafting of, Young Ireland.
Further, in January 2022, the Minister for CEDIY launched an online public consultation to inform Young Ireland (DCEDIY, 2022[27]). The consultation included 12 open ended questions centred around the five national outcomes, guiding participants to provide their positive and negative perceptions on outcomes for children and young people, as well as give feedback on what they thought should be the priorities for the new framework. The survey collected a total of 236 responses, of which 58% were from professionals and service providers, 22% were from children and young people, and 20% were from parents. The feedback also included 43 written responses from civil society organisations. Findings from this consultation were summarised into the Final Report on Public Consultation, which includes several measures underlining the transparency of the consultation process. For instance, a summary of responses is provided for each question, as is information on the methods included to conduct the consultation and the types of respondent profiles. A table comparing the ranking of priorities that each group (children and young people, parents, and professionals/service providers) is also included, marking an interest from DCEDIY to consider intergenerational perspectives in the making of Young Ireland.
To strengthen the legitimacy of findings and better contextualise responses, future reports could include a more detailed account of efforts to outreach to and recruit participants (e.g., channels used to raise awareness of the consultation and incentivise respondents to provide input). Further, to ensure that policymakers can deliver meaningful responses to feedback and identify gaps in representation, more detailed information on participants (e.g., geographic spread, socioeconomic background of respondents) could be useful. The Report could also refer to the findings of consultations led by the DCEDIY outside of the online survey (including to government bodies and civil society groups as discussed below) and identify areas of convergence and divergence in feedback. Future consultation exercises could also embed an evaluation of the participatory process by, for instance, setting targets to measure the representativeness of the respondent group, asking respondents on their perceptions of the survey process, among others. Finally, further clarity could be provided to participants and the wider public on how their feedback informed Young Ireland (e.g., including clear references to feedback received in the Framework, providing information in the report on how respondents were informed of their impact).
Meaningful participation requires public officials to seek out the views of diverse stakeholders that may be impacted by policy decisions, to address information gaps and strengthen awareness of constituents’ varied needs (OECD, 2022[26]). Alongside the online consultation mentioned above, two consultation exercises were executed to capture the voices of those lesser heard. The DCEDIY National Participation Office (NPO) and the National Youth Council Ireland’s Equality and Intercultural Team designed a consultation activity to specifically target children and young people from ethnic minority groups. The consultation included 102 young people aged between 11 and 25, identifying with different ethnic minority backgrounds including Roma, Traveller, African, and Asian communities. Findings of this consultation can be found in the Report on the Consultations with Minority Ethnic Young People (DCEDIY, 2022[28]). In addition, the National Participation Office and Hub na nÓg prepared a consultation for young carers, or young people with caring responsibilities (e.g., helping care for siblings with special educational needs or disability, helping with the day-to-day care of an ill parent).15 young carers aged between 7 and 23 years took part in the consultation, whose findings are captured in the Report on Consultation with Young Carers (DCEDIY, 2022[29]). Questions for both reports did not follow the five national outcomes as it was the case for the general consultation, but instead asked participants to provide feedback on how young people saw their lives and what could be done to improve it. As is the case for the general consultation, future reports could include how feedback considered in the decision-making process.
Beyond the online survey and targeted consultations discussed above, the DCEDIY consulted with a wide range of stakeholders in the process of designing and planning Young Ireland, including:
Government agencies including Tusla, HSE, An Garda Síochána, and the Health Information and Quality Authority.
Children and Young People's Services Committees (CYPSC).
Child and Family Support Networks (CFSNs), engaged with as part of consultations with Tusla.
The BOBF National Advisory Council (including academic representatives and key organisations focused on children and young people).
Organisations focused on children and young people beyond those in the National Advisory Council, including six targeted consultations with civil society carried out by the Children’s Rights Alliance, and a presentation to the Prevention and Early Intervention Network.
Youth participation structures, which included a consultation with Comhairle na nÓg (local child and youth councils) through a meeting of the Youth Assembly members in December 2022.
Inter-governmental organisations including the January 2023 UN Committee hearing in Geneva.
The varied consultation exercises discussed above demonstrate a commitment to include a holistic array of perspectives and experiences into Young Ireland, from high-level political figures to service providers, civil society, young people, and children. In line with OECD evidence on the subject, to strengthen future participation exercises of this nature, the DCEDIY could develop a Participation and Consultation Plan establishing, a criteria for who to involve, at what stage, what information/consultation material is available to the public and relevant stakeholders, outreach and closing the loop methods to different population groups depending on the forecasted impact of decisions on their lives, among other elements (OECD, 2022[30]).
In this respect, a key element to meaningful consultation includes identifying at which stage of the policy cycle stakeholders should be engaged to ensure that their voices are impactful (OECD, 2022[26]). The efforts discussed above show how stakeholders have been involved in the early stages of developing Young Ireland, but the framework does not provide an indication on how different constituents would be engaged in the implementation and monitoring and evaluation stages of the Framework.
Varied tools and channels to ensure meaningful participation
Employing diverse tools and channels ensures that stakeholders have options to engage in a way that works for them. The DCEDIY has employed a wide range of consultation methods to engage stakeholders, such as:
Face-to-face public meetings including a roundtable event with Tusla, a cross government roundtable event on data, a youth services forum, and a cross-government workshop on workforce.
Virtual meetings including online consultations with CYPSC, civil society, and a virtual presentation to the Prevention and Early Intervention Network.
Advisory and expert group meetings including virtual meetings with the National Advisory Council
One-on-one consultations with senior public officials, including bilateral meetings with every Department at PO level (other than Department of Foreign Affairs) in person where feasible.
Targeted consultations with children and young people, including an in-person meeting of the youth assembly in December 2022, and in person consultations with young people from minority groups and young carers.
An online survey including a public consultation targeting children, young people, parents, and people working with children and young people and everyone with an interest in this area.
Employing adequate communication channels to advertise opportunities to have a say, including among children and youth (stakeholders) from marginalised backgrounds, is key to an inclusive public consultation process (OECD, 2022[26]). Reaching minority groups to include in public consultations is a commonly cited challenge across OECD countries, therefore, care should be taken to design targeted outreach efforts through channels commonly used by these groups (OECD, 2018[31]). Hub na nÓg and the NPO team worked with the National Youth Council of Ireland’s (NYCI) Equality and Intercultural Team to recruit ethnic minority young people to provide feedback to inform Young Ireland. Young carers, on the other hand, were recruited by Hub na nÓg and the NPO team working with practitioners from Family Carers Ireland, a non-government organisation supporting carers in Ireland. Both consultations also demonstrate responsiveness to the needs of young people during the consultation, by using inclusive engagement methods.
Beyond targeted efforts to recruit young people from ethnic minority groups and young carers, the DCEDIY performed a number of activities to inform the wider public about opportunities to have a say on Young Ireland. The Irish Government issued a press release when the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth launched the main public consultation on the new Framework (DCEDIY, 2022[32]).
OECD interviews with civil society organisations in November 2022, however, denoted that these were not always aware of opportunities to influence the development of the new Framework. This finding reflects a need to develop a stronger communication component from the outset and throughout the implementation of the Framework, which was also noted in conclusions of the Mid-term Review and 2020 Annual Report of BOBF 2014-20 (DCEDIY, 2020[7]; DCEDIY, 2018[16]).
Engaging vulnerable and marginalised groups
OECD evidence shows that when young people are systematically engaged in policymaking, from defining, drafting, and reviewing thematic areas of national youth strategies, for instance, they are more likely to express satisfaction with policy outcomes (OECD, 2020[6]). Further, ongoing youth and child engagement is key to corroborate available evidence and findings informing decisions related to the provision of services for children and young people, particularly those with complex needs (see Chapter 5).
The above-mentioned reports capturing the voices of young people from ethnic minority backgrounds and young carers represent significant efforts to improve the inclusiveness of public consultations in Ireland. Interviews held with Departments and agencies in November 2022, however, pointed to gaps in their capacity to map the needs of, and engage with, young people and children in vulnerable circumstances. Interviewees discussed that such gaps may lead to lower satisfaction with services among these groups, and a higher likelihood that their concerns will not be considered or be underrepresented in policy and programming (see also Chapter 3, under Youth Outcomes from a Public Governance Perspective). Interviews conducted by the OECD with academics and government stakeholders also pointed to the need to build further capacities within the Department to organise inclusive consultations across all DCEDIY-led strategies. To this end, the LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy 2018-2020 was referred to as a good practice example, as young people from less represented backgrounds were involved throughout the development and implementation process, from being part of initial consultations, to sitting in oversight committees.
Resourced/budget
The adequate allocation of resources to stakeholders involved in the implementation and monitoring and evaluation of national child and youth policy frameworks is an important determinant of their outcomes and impact (OECD, 2020[6]). Resourcing refers to funding, human resources, and supportive measures – from training schemes to funding programmes – to building the capacities of relevant actors.
While the implementation of actions under the five national outcomes of Young Ireland rests under the responsibility of individual Departments, the DCEDIY has earmarked resources to support the running of structures developed specifically to govern the Framework (e.g., the Policy Forum, Implementation Team, Advisory Council). Funding has also been allocated to support the development of action under the Enabling Environment initiatives led by Young Ireland. At the time of writing, no funding was allocated to incentivise inter-departmental and inter-agency co-ordination to implement action under the Spotlight initiatives.
Departments are responsible to secure funding to support the implementation of their respective commitments in Young Ireland through their own estimates process, which may risk resulting in under investments in addressing cross-cutting policy challenges in the absence of clear policy leadership.
In terms of staffing, out of 619 full-time staff employed by DCEDIY in 2023, three were assigned to develop the new Framework according to DCEDIY, similar to the number of staff assigned to First 5 (3 full time staff) and the European Child Guarantee (2 staff). However, the staff developing Young Ireland have had, at times, concurrent responsibilities for other areas. OECD Interviews also pointed to capacity challenges in this regard due to concurrent responsibilities, high workloads, and under-staffing.
Strengthening staffing capacities to deliver on core policy areas also rests on the implementation of skilling programmes and opportunities to gain experience. The DCEDIY’s investment in training increased from €354k in 2019 to €569k in 2022, which is aligned with the sixth goal of the Statement of Strategy, which states that the Department will “maintain high standards of performance and corporate governance with engaged motivated and supported staff”.2 Staff can access a range of training opportunities, including learning practical skills to use relevant software, workplace management courses, Department-specific learning opportunities and organisational knowledge learning, tertiary education degrees and trainings to access existing resources. In 2022, the DCEDIY provided 3009 training interventions and supported 46 staff members through their Education Support Scheme. Further, over 25 teams were supported with training in the same year.
Ensuring the allocation of sufficient resources to deliver on Young Ireland at local level is also key to ensuring national-level strategic priorities are implemented locally. As discussed in Chapter 4, CYPSC are considered essential to the implementation of the new Framework. Debates in the context of the proposed amendments of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2023 as they pertain to CYPSC have raised questions within DCEDIY over measures needed to address the capacity challenges faced by the CYPS Committees. Findings from the public online consultation conducted during the initial phases of the Review of the Child Care Act 1991, reflect concerns from independent reviewers, pointing to a lack of capacities and resources in CYPSC. The DCEDIY is conducting a review to better identify and address these challenges. In particular, the review will seek to understand issues related to varying capacity levels across CYPSC, funding differences, lack of administrative support, planning and reporting concerns, visibility and awareness of work and role of CYPSC, and articulating functions of CYPSC regarding inter-agency co-ordination. The review is expected to inform how Young Ireland will govern the work of CYPSC and is expected to feed into a three-year roadmap to support the implementation of recommendations from the ongoing CYPSC diagnosis, secure resourcing, and capacity building for CYPSC, and support the implementation of child poverty pilots.
OECD findings show that in countries where the implementation of the National Youth Strategy, including the core implementation team, is considered to be adequately resourced, respondents are less likely to report lack of human and financial capacities as a barrier to effective cross-governmental co-ordination (OECD, 2020[6]). In 2020, 17 out of 25 OECD countries reported having budget earmarked to support the implementation of their national youth strategy. Box 8.3 provides comparative accounts of resourcing the implementation of child and young people’s strategies in Finland, New Zealand, and Spain.
Box 8.3. Allocating adequate human and financial resources to the implementation of national child and youth strategies
Finland: Incentivising collaboration through seed funding
In Finland, the National Child Strategy Group under the auspices of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in charge of coordinating the National Child Strategy receives half a million euros per year, which goes in large part to staff costs. The Unit is staffed by four civil servants: a lead expert, a legal expert on child rights, a specialist on participation and communication, and an administrative assistant.
Unlike Spain and New Zealand, Finland also uses financial incentives to encourage inter-ministerial co-ordination. In the country’s previous administration, according to OECD interviews, the Unit managed a significant budget to provide funding across 30 measures in the Strategy. Due to the large number of projects to track and manage accountability for, the Unit’s work was strongly focused on project management, which reportedly detracted from its original purpose to lead on whole-of-government co-ordination. Recent government changes have scaled back the Unit’s project funding to enable a stronger focus on co-ordination. Co-funding activities by different Ministries had also been piloted in this strategy.
Spain and New Zealand: Staffing and funding central co-ordination operations
In New Zealand, the Business Unit in charge of implementing the country’s Child and Youth Strategy is staffed by twelve officials with backgrounds in policy, communications, data, and public consultation and engagement. Yearly funding for this Unit, which amounts to about 1.6 million New Zealand dollars (882,000 EUR approx.), goes to staff salaries and ancillary costs. The Strategy does not use financial incentives to drive cross sectoral co-ordination.
In Spain, the development and implementation of the Strategy for the Rights of Children and Adolescents is staffed by a team of 15 civil servants from the Directorate General for the Rights of Children and Adolescents. As for the National Youth Strategy 2030, a team of five civil servants and a number of temporary consultants are in charge of planning and coordinating the implementation of the Youth Strategy. OECD interviews point to a rough estimate figure of 600,000 EUR per annum is allocated to salaries of relevant personnel in these structures.
Source: OECD peer interviews, September 2023 and (DPMC, 2023[33]); (Jefatura del Estado, 2022[34]).
Transparent and Accessible
Transparent and accessible strategies are essential to building trust with citizens and to promoting government legitimacy. Among others, this includes the extent to which policy frameworks clearly state which government authority or authorities has or have the overall co-ordinating responsibility for implementation, whether responsibilities over each policy area are clearly assigned to different stakeholders, and whether the strategy or framework is laid out in publicly accessible documents (OECD, 2020[6]).
Ensuring the new Framework is easily accessible
Using online channels and laying out Young Ireland through public platforms can engage relevant stakeholders in the implementation and monitoring process (OECD, 2020[6]). Interviews conducted by the OECD with civil society organisations prior to the publication of Young Ireland point to the need to better raise awareness and publicise the framework for children and young people, including by giving it a more telling name than its predecessor BOBF, to ensure its coherent and cohesive implementation. These findings are aligned with reflections in the 2020 Annual Report, which pointed to a low level of awareness and visibility of BOBF 2014-20 across sectors, as well as among children, young people and the general public when comparing with other government plans (DCEDIY, 2020[7]).
From its inception in August 2022, a Blueprint of Young Ireland was made publicly available by the DCEDIY through the official government website (DCEDIY, 2022[17]). OECD interviews conducted in November 2022 with government stakeholders across departments, however, showed limited awareness of the process to elaborate the Blueprint into the new Framework.
Perhaps as a response to these observations, Young Ireland includes, as part of its Enabling Environment actions, prominent efforts to build communication and awareness on policies and services delivered under the Framework. These efforts engage varied government and non-government stakeholders to increase communication on Young Ireland, as well as promote the rights of children and young people from a whole-of-society approach. A communications action plan has also been published, including short-, medium- and long-term (2024-2028) actions. Overall, Young Ireland reflects the following communication priorities:
The development of an online Communications Platform to raise awareness of child and youth rights and wellbeing in the public mind. This platform will serve as a central point for information sharing and as a channel for communication between the Government and the general public (including children and young people), including the development of a campaign website, a social media campaign, and reoccurring events. It is envisaged that the Platform will improve public accountability by gathering strategic documents such as frameworks, implementation plans and reviews, as well as updated information on the Government’s agenda related to child and youth (see Chapter 7).
A Communications Youth Advisory Panel will be established to guide the direction of the Communications Platform.
A Network of Champions composed of NGO representatives incentivised through their Service Level Agreements to ensure that children and young people’s rights are promoted through their organisations. The DCEDIY will also use this Network to engage organisations who do not normally consider themselves in the children and young people space.
The publication of child-friendly versions of policies and strategies relevant to children and young people.
Clearly defining responsibilities for implementation, monitoring and evaluation
In the absence of a monitoring and evaluation framework at the time of its adoption in November 2023, Young Ireland does not clearly allocate responsibilities for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) across its governance structures. This challenge was also raised in OECD interviews conducted with government and non-government stakeholders in Ireland on their perceptions of the predecessor Framework, BOBF 2014-20, who cited needing more clarity regarding the allocation of responsibilities over implementation, and monitoring and evaluation duties, particularly for transversal policy challenges such as child poverty. The development of the Spotlight Initiatives provides a framework to clearly define responsibilities for implementation on complex issues where several departments may need to coordinate. It is, however, unclear whether M&E responsibilities will be also clearly allocated under this model (see section below).
Results of surveys, consultations and reports are publicly available
The publication of results of consultations leading to the development of Young Ireland, as mentioned in previous sections, is an important element to increasing transparency and accountability of the Framework. The Communications Platform, once established, will mark an important step towards increasing the accessibility of publications and information to the public, by acting as a hub to centralise relevant findings that may be useful to departments, agencies, and the wider public. Observations on the predecessor framework, BOBF 2014-20, point that the publication of periodic reviews, as well as ensuring that consultation opportunities are well communicated on, are key learnings to be brought forward into Young Ireland.
Evidence-based
The OECD qualifies a national youth and child strategy or framework as evidence-based when all stages of policy development and implementation are based on reliable, relevant, independent and up-to-date data and research that reflects the needs and realities of children and young people (OECD, 2020[6]).
As discussed in Chapter 5 and 6, the DCEDIY has developed instruments and initiatives to better measure the needs and realities of children and young people, develop evidence-based policies, and track progress across key policy areas. Existing DCEDIY projects such as the Growing Up in Ireland longitudinal study and the What Works initiative (see Chapter 5, as well as the two progress reports resulting from the BOBF 2014-20 Indicator Set, now renamed to the Children and Young People Indicator Set,3 also provide a strong evidence basis to build on and inform Young Ireland.
As discussed in Chapters 5 and 6 the Children and Young People Indicator Set will guide, as it was done for the predecessor Framework, the direction of Young Ireland across the five national outcomes. While the CYP Indicator Set remains relatively unchanged from its predecessor, there are a number of actions under Young Ireland to strengthen government capacities to collect, disaggregate and use date on children and young people. These are discussed in the sections below.
Regularly conduct research on children and young people
Regularly conducting research on children and young people throughout the cycle of Young Ireland is an important determinant to delivering evidence-based policymaking and programming (OECD, 2020[6]).
In the context of uncertainty and unforeseen developments, such as proven by the COVID-19 pandemic, a responsive Framework depends on the continued and systematic collection of evidence and publication of the challenges faced by children and young people to re-prioritise government action if needed and ensure progress is measured over time.
For instance, as noted in Chapter 6 the systematic collection and use of data on child and youth outcomes remains uneven across the 70 indicator areas of the Set, with particular challenges reported in terms of mapping the needs of vulnerable children and youth (DCEDIY, 2022[35]). Further, OECD interviews suggest that capacities to conduct research on a regular and ongoing basis across Government departments and agencies in Ireland are often limited by a lack of resourcing, the need to professionalise and streamline data collection and research efforts, gaps regarding research co-ordination and standardisation across governmental, agency and other stakeholders, and challenges to collecting data at a county level. As a way to tackle these challenges, the DCEDIY is planning to publish an Equality Data Strategy 2023-2027, which is also cited in Young Ireland. This Strategy’s purpose is to “advance the collection, standardisation, use and monitoring of all equality data, including data relating to children and young people, to highlight inequalities that may otherwise remain hidden” (DCEDIY, 2023[8]).
Setting and coordinating research priorities across different stakeholders was raised by OECD interviewees as a key area requiring further work, particularly regarding regularly mapping the needs of children and young people living in vulnerable circumstances. A Cross Government Research Programme is being established to drive research co-ordination as part of Young Ireland commitments to strengthen the evidence base available to inform policymaking and address data gaps (DCEDIY, 2023[8]).
Age-disaggregated data is collected and used systematically by relevant Departments and agencies
Collecting age-disaggregated data to inform the work of Departments across each of the five national outcomes is key to ensure Young Ireland is responsive to the needs of children and young people. The development of the BOBF Indicator Set included meetings with a range of government departments and agencies to consult on the priorities and appropriate data measures across each of the 70 indicator areas included (DCEDIY, 2022[35]). Findings from a workshop held by DCEDIY in October 2022 with government departments and agencies, however, showed gaps regarding the capacity to collect age-disaggregated data on domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, homelessness of children and young people, education of children in care and those with family members in prison, and a range of other relevant healthcare indicators (DCEDIY, 2022[35]). Workshop participants also called for better collection of data disaggregated by other factors, including ethnicity, a task which raises important ethical and practical considerations.
The DCEDIY has been gathering data about the needs of children and young people to inform Young Ireland through different methods. According to DCEDIY, these include the direct collection of evidence by units in DCEDIY, government agencies (e.g., Tusla, HSE), the National Statistics Office, other Departments, and from insights from consultations with children and youth stakeholders. Challenges, however, have been reported on the collection of age-disaggregated data for at least ten indicators across the five national outcomes. The Equality Data Strategy may serve to advance these efforts throughout the lifetime of the Framework.
Table 8.1. Challenges to collecting age-disaggregated data on the needs of children and young people in Ireland
Source: 22IE17 OECD Policy Questionnaire answers received from DCEDIY in April 2023.
Systems to facilitate information exchange
Developing systems to facilitate information exchange across stakeholders involved in the implementation is paramount to the well-coordinated and efficient roll-out of Young Ireland both at national and subnational levels. As in many OECD countries, the interviews conducted by OECD suggest that the Government in Ireland faces important challenges to facilitate information exchange across departments and agencies when working on issues related to child and youth policies. Among the main barriers cited, government departments and agencies note the need to develop overarching infrastructure systems to share and coordinate data across government bodies, building better relationships across departments to enable the transfer of information, the need to ensure connectivity across datasets, issues to sharing and receiving data from the private sector, and to better coordinate data collection cycles across departments (DCEDIY, 2022[35]). Interviews conducted by the OECD in April 2023 also pointed to risks and uncertainties when the collection and sharing of personal information of minors is concerned, particularly in the context of the EU General Data Protection Regulation.
OECD interviews further suggest that children with complex cases and needs falling under the remit of several departments and agencies are most affected by the shortcoming in data co-ordination. A possible solution to help address this challenge included the development of a national health identifier by the Department of Health to act as a recipient for data of files across relevant bodies.
Efforts cited under Young Ireland to address these challenges include:
Data linking capacities: The DCEDIY and the Central Statistics Office plan to advance initiatives to strengthen data linking across relevant departments, including publishing findings on a project focused on linking data related to children in care with school enrolment and providing guidance to departments and agencies on developing cross-government data linking projects.
The DCEDIY plans to leverage the What Works Evidence Hub to promote the use of evidence-informed approaches to early intervention programmes, as well as use geo-special tools to map children’s services and inform policy delivery. Among the tools provided, What Works has developed a Data Measurement Toolkit and an Early Intervention Foundation Guidebook, which provide guidance on how to gather insight from data to improve services for children, young people, and their families.
Governance Group of the Outcomes for Children National Data and Information Hub: The DCEDIY sits in the Governance Group of the Outcomes for Children National Data and Information Hub along with Tusla, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, and Barnardos, a children’s charity in Ireland working for children and families from vulnerable backgrounds. This Hub is a joint initiative to provide a national standardised technical solution for mapping outcomes and indicators for children and young people across the five national outcome areas. The Hub is currently in re-development to become a centralised space to host a range of published data from various agencies involved in the provision of services to children, young people, and their families. Part of the workstreams of this project include training and support to personnel to utilise this system and better inform policies under Young Ireland. The Hub is continually updated when new progress reports become available.
Despite these notable initiatives, the CYP Indicator Set is likely to continue showing gaps across significant dimensions, as no initiatives are currently in place to develop indicators to measure access to, take up or quality of services, or to assess the effectiveness of the state in adopting a rights-based approach to delivering for children and young people. Finally, given the nature of the Indicator Set – whose purpose is to set the direction of policies rather than measure the effectiveness of actions – a further development of the indicator set would be needed to support the monitoring and evaluation of outcomes and impact of Young Ireland (see following section).
Strengthening monitoring, evaluation, and accountability mechanisms
Sound Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) systems enable policymakers to better understand what works and what does not to ensure policy choices are rooted in evidence-informed decisions (Box 8.4). In fact, OECD survey findings show that 95% of responding OECD countries set up specific mechanisms to monitor and evaluate their national youth strategies, albeit through varying approaches (OECD, 2020[6]). However, M&E continues to be an important challenge across OECD countries. One in every four countries with national youth strategies monitors these on an ad-hoc basis rather than regularly. Around half of strategies do not include key performance indicators linked to policy objectives and targets. Mechanisms to ensure the quality of data collected are also infrequent, with only 8% of countries using quality control or assurance mechanisms and developing staff competences. Moreover, less than one in four countries applies specific mechanisms for both ex-post and ex-ante evaluation, and one in three countries report not to use the evidence generated from M&E reports to inform policymaking (OECD, 2020[6]).
Box 8.4. Results-based Monitoring and Evaluation systems to inform policymaking
Comprehensive results-based Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) systems can help to investigate whether a certain project, programme, or policy has led to the desired medium- and long-term results they were initially designed to achieve (Kusek and Rist, 2004[36]). An M&E system can also provide information on how progress towards those achievements has taken place and identify any challenges that may have arisen in the process.
The wealth of information provided by a functioning, comprehensive M&E system is useful for both internal and external stakeholders. Internally, an M&E system is an essential public management tool that can help policymakers to track progress and demonstrate the impact of a particular policy or intervention. But M&E results are also important to the public, who are interested in the impact from their government’s actions and who are expecting certain results from those actions. A well-built M&E system can help in clarifying and articulating policy goals, identifying promising practices, and even detecting programme weaknesses and potential actions to correct those weaknesses. As a result, M&E systems are a crucial tool to promote transparency and accountability of policymaking.
While there is no unique way to build and maintain a results-based M&E system, there are some key and necessary steps to be considered when designing such a system. The OECD’s Analysis of the Monitoring of Child Policies and Outcomes in Ireland (OECD, 2024[37]) provides overall guidance and an overview of the sequential steps that should be considered when building a robust results-based M&E system for child and youth policies in Ireland, building on good practice examples in other OECD countries.
Source: OECD (2024[37]), Analysis of the Monitoring System for Child Policies and Outcomes, forthcoming, OECD Publishing.
The OECD’s Analysis of the Monitoring System for Child Policies and Outcomes (OECD, 2024[37]) identified gaps in the BOBF monitoring framework and suggests areas that could be considered for improvement when developing a M&E system for Young Ireland. In particular, the report calls for a more comprehensive articulation of the logic of change that underpins the policy framework. Neither Young Ireland nor its predecessor BOBF make it explicit why and how the government’s commitments and transformational goals, if realised, are expected to contribute to the identified policy outcomes, making it difficult to evaluate the impact of government action under either of the frameworks. Other challenges identified include insufficient human and financial resources allocated to the M&E of Young Ireland, which was reflected in BOBF as well. Further, it was noted that there was an ineffective dissemination of information on the outcomes and impact of BOBF across relevant departments, agencies, civil society organisations and the wider public. These dissemination challenges will likely be present in M&E processes of Young Ireland, given the similar issues both frameworks face.
The Annual Reviews of BOBF showed a need to embed M&E considerations from the start of the policy planning process, all the while ensuring that monitoring practices do not impact the ability of government bodies to be responsive to complex and unforeseen challenges. These Reviews called for improved M&E practices to standardise policy implementation cycles, as well as implementing quality standards, across all five national outcome areas. Young Ireland presents an opportunity to address these challenges, although the new Framework does not cite specific developments in these areas.
Findings from interviews conducted by the OECD with stakeholders involved in policy M&E in Ireland reflected calls to standardise reporting systems across bodies in charge of implementing the successor Framework. Developing mechanisms to understand the impact of public spending on child and youth outcomes was also raised as an area of possible future work. Further, strengthening M&E practices to measure the impact of procurement of civil society organisations (CSOs) was raised as being key to building a trusting relationship between government and non-government organisations. To this end, while the communications component does mention civil society organisations in the context of service delivery, it is unclear how Young Ireland will strengthen engagement with CSOs in the M&E process.
OECD interview findings also reflected the need to revise existing legislative frameworks underpinning current M&E practices to ensure these realistically reflect the staffing and resources available to conduct M&E across policy areas. These proposed revisions were framed as a way to strengthen the legal basis for better cross-sectoral collaboration to monitor and evaluate child and youth policies across the new governance structures, as well as leverage the role of entities outside of these (e.g., Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, Ombudsman for Children’s Office) as reflected in the 2022 Annual Report of the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection (Mahony, 2022[38]). Finally, as aligned with the 2020 Annual Review of BOBF, OECD interviews reflected a need to embed monitoring and accountability considerations into the policy design process, by establishing measurable goals from the outset. Strengthening monitoring and accountability mechanisms was also seen as key to align national-level policy design with policy implementation at the subnational level.
As the DCEDIY will seek to review the role and functions of governance structures under Young Ireland, there is significant scope to clarify M&E responsibilities, both for the Framework and also to guide the harmonisation of M&E practices on child and youth policies across government departments.
Introduction to DCEDIY-led constituent strategies
Young Ireland has been elaborated in a complex landscape of DCEDIY-led policy frameworks and governance arrangements (Table 8.2). The following sections discuss the governance set-ups underpinning the implementation of the European Child Guarantee (ECG) National Action Plan (NAP) and the First 5 strategy, which addresses a sub-set of the target group of Young Ireland, namely children up to five years of age. The assessment covers the human and financial capacities dedicated to the implementation of the ECG NAP and First 5, the structures established to encourage inter-departmental and inter-agency co-ordination, as well as other governance aspects to evaluate the level of policy coherence and potential overlaps. Similar discussions on other relevant DCEDIY-led strategies are included in the subsequent sections of this chapter.
Table 8.2. Overview of DCEDIY-led strategies focused on improving child and youth outcomes in Ireland
Source: Developed by the OECD (2023).
First 5: A Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children, and their Families 2019-2028
First 5’s focus, actions, and financial resources
First 5 is a ten-year whole-of-government strategy developed by DCEDIY focused on babies, young children, and their families. First 5 aims to ensure that all children have positive early experiences and get a strong start in life. The strategy was adopted in 2018 during the implementation of BOBF 2014-20 and runs up until 2028 (Government of Ireland, 2019[39]). Introduced initially as a commitment to develop an Early Years Strategy by the Government of Ireland under BOBF 2014-20, First 5 remains one of the constituent strategies of the successor policy framework for children and young people, Young Ireland (Government of Ireland, 2023[40]). The strategy document has so far been complemented by a first implementation plan for 2019-2021 and a second one for 2023-2025, launched in November 2023. Implementation reports have also been published for 2019, for 2020, and for 2021-2022 (Government of Ireland, 2023[41]).
First 5 complements BOBF 2014-20 and Young Ireland by focusing specifically on the age group up to 5 years old (Government of Ireland, 2019[39]). It reinforces commitments made in BOBF 2014-20 to deliver improvements across the five national outcomes and identifies five major areas for policy action – what are described in the strategy as the First 5 Big Steps (Government of Ireland, 2019[39]):
1. Access to a broader range of options for parents to balance working and caring, including extending parental leave for both mothers and fathers;
2. A new model of parenting support;
3. New developments in child health via a dedicated child health workforce;
4. Reform of the early learning and care system;
5. A package of measures to tackle early childhood poverty.
The First 5 strategy is more detailed than BOBF 2014-20 was in terms of the specific actions identified. Yet, objectives and actions in First 5 do not refer to BOBF 2014-20 except when it comes to governance structures and mechanisms. As explained in the text of the strategy itself, the actions proposed in First 5 aim to complement and add to the pre-existing initiatives and policies, acknowledging the multidimensional benefits, both immediate and long-term, of investing in early childhood (Government of Ireland, 2019[39]). The drivers for the development of this strategy are similar to those identified for BOBF 2014-20, notably the need to improve co-ordination across different agencies, departments, NGOs, and other stakeholders involved in the delivery of programmes and services to improve the wellbeing of children and young people. Leading and partner structures responsible for implementing the strategic actions identified in First 5 mostly match the stakeholders that were also responsible for the implementation of commitments under BOBF 2014-20, including all main departments and Tusla (Government of Ireland, 2019[39]).
Compared to BOBF 2014-20, First 5 is focusing on inputs rather than measurable outcomes. The major areas for action make no mention of new indicators to track progress in the outcomes for this age group, but rather refer to the set developed for BOBF 2014-20 to monitor progress and identify changes and trends (Government of Ireland, 2019[39]). In turn, BOBF 2014-20 included clear outcome targets to tackle child poverty, address social exclusion and improve wellbeing of children and young people. By way of comparison, despite one of the Five Big Steps being about addressing early childhood poverty, no policy target is mentioned in the strategy. With the adoption of Young Ireland and the beginning of Phase 2 of First 5 implementation in 2023, some of the actions initially included in the strategy and addressing needs across the whole of childhood have been extracted. They will be integrated into the future implementation and monitoring arrangements for new national policy framework with the aim to promote a more streamlined and targeted approach (DCEDIY, 2023[8]).
Governance arrangements for the implementation of First 5
The implementation of First 5 relied on the same governance structures established for BOBF 2014-20 (Government of Ireland, 2019[39]) until 2023, and will now be continued under the arrangements underpinning the implementation of Young Ireland (Government of Ireland, 2023[40]). Such a common governance structure is explained by the nature of the First 5 strategy – being a constituent strategy of BOBF 2014-20 and then Young Ireland – and the possibility to create synergies between them.
Under BOBF 2014-20, the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Services was in charge of overseeing implementation and promoting accountability, while the Children and Young People’s Policy Consortium had the responsibility to oversee cross-government implementation in co-operation with several structures at different levels – e.g., sponsors group, advisory group, committees. In the current configuration, as explained in the strategy’s Implementation Plan 2023-2025, the oversight of and accountability for the implementation of First 5 will rest with the Cabinet Committee on Children and Education, supported by the Senior Officials’ Group for what concerns its work in this area (Government of Ireland, 2023[40]), as in the case of Young Ireland.
A First 5 Inter-Departmental Group chaired by DCEDIY and bringing together representatives from various Government Departments and State agencies was established to oversee the development of the 2019-2021 Implementation Plan (Government of Ireland, 2019[39]), and will continue to work for the 2023-2025 period (Government of Ireland, 2023[40]). The Group is mandated to raise awareness and ownership of First 5 within and across Government Departments, State agencies and among other key stakeholders, as well as to report on progress on the implementation of First 5 on a bi-annual basis (Government of Ireland, 2019[42]). Between 2019 and 2021, it also provided guidance and advice to the First 5 Implementation Team (see below) on approaches to monitoring and reporting, infrastructure to be put in place to support implementation and strategic, policy, legislative and operational issues of relevance to First 5 and its implementation. By gathering representatives of several departments and agencies, the Inter-Departmental Group constitutes a forum for discussing challenges and potential solutions, which cut across different departmental portfolios.
At the beginning of the strategy, a First 5 Implementation Team was established in the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (now DCEDIY) to coordinate and monitor the implementation of First 5 and liaise with the DCEDIY unit, which was in charge of implementing BOBF 2014-20 (Government of Ireland, 2019[39]). The Implementation Team is currently responsible for leading the co-ordination and monitoring of the implementation of First 5, by communicating with stakeholders, developing indicators, and preparing annual reports (Government of Ireland, 2023[40]). In terms of human capacities, in 2023, three people were reportedly working full-time on First 5, with no expectations for an increase in the team size in the following year.
OECD interviews highlighted challenges stemming from the governance arrangements established under Phase 1 of First 5 implementation until 2023, pointing to concerns regarding their effectiveness and coherence. In fact, while relying on other strategies’ governance structures can be an advantage to ensure policy coherence, it also requires effective co-ordination with the national Framework. In this respect, DCEDIY reported that the engagement between the First 5 Implementation Team and the BOBF 2014-20 Advisory Council was delayed due to a re-prioritisation of the work in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Similarly, the Inter-departmental Group was unable to meet as frequently as envisaged due to reprioritisation of the work owing to the COVID-19 crisis.
Additionally, designing a ten-year strategy (2019-2028) on the basis of a six-year national policy framework (2014-2020) poses the risk of potential long-term issues in terms of coherence and effectiveness, particularly as the national framework’s implementation period concludes. First 5 operated independently of BOBF 2014-20 concerning its implementation period but was reliant on its governance structures until 2023. In practice, the expiration of BOBF 2014-20 in 2020 led to the disappearance or operation of some key implementation structures under limited terms of reference. The lack of continuity in the governance structures was reported by DCEDIY as one of the reasons for the delay in the implementation of government commitments under First 5. For this, Irish authorities during OECD interviews acknowledged the importance for the successor Framework to BOBF 2014-20 to have due regard to the First 5 strategy both in terms of implementation and accountability structures. Indeed, Young Ireland and the most recent First 5 Implementation Plan, both released in November 2023, refer to the same implementation arrangements, which is envisaged to streamline procedures and contribute to increased policy coherence.
European Child Guarantee National Action Plan
The European Child Guarantee
The implementation of child and youth policy in Ireland is embedded in a broader EU context of improving policy outcomes for children and young people, notably through the European Child Guarantee (ECG). The ECG was adopted by the Council of the European Union in 2021. It aims to address issues of social exclusion by guaranteeing universal access of children in need to a set of key services, including:
Free early childhood education and care;
Free education (including school-based activities and at least one healthy meal each school day);
Free healthcare;
Healthy nutrition; and
Adequate housing.
The Council Recommendation defines children in need as “persons under the age of 18 years who are at risk of poverty or social exclusion”, referring in particular to children living in households at risk of poverty, or experiencing severe material and social deprivation, or with very low work intensity (Council of the European Union, 2021[43]). As stated in the text of the Council Recommendation establishing the Guarantee, while most children in the EU already have access to these services, inclusive and truly universal access results to be critical for ensuring equal opportunities for all children, especially those experiencing poverty or other forms of disadvantage such as homelessness, severe housing deprivation, disability, mental health issues, and children from a migrant or minority ethnic backgrounds, in alternative or institutional care, and in precarious family situations (Council of the European Union, 2021[43]).
To support the implementation of the ECG, EU Member States are required to nominate a Child Guarantee coordinator and submit action plans, covering the period until 2030 and considering national, regional, and local circumstances as well as existing policy actions and measures to support children in need. The national action plans should identify children in need, the barriers they face in accessing and taking up the core services identified by the Guarantee and identify existing and planned policy measures at national and subnational level to improve their access. EU Member States are advised to involve relevant stakeholders, including non-governmental organisations, in the implementation of the plans and to regularly monitor implementation progress through the development of relevant indicators (Council of the European Union, 2021[43]).
Ireland’s Child Guarantee National Action Plan
To support the implementation of the European Child Guarantee, the Government of Ireland submitted its National Action Plan (NAP) to the European Commission in May 2022. An interdepartmental group convened by the DCEDIY drafted the Plan (Government of Ireland, 2022[44]). The government also established an EU and International Unit within the DCEDIY to, inter alia, lead the co-ordination and implementation of actions under the European Child Guarantee. As of 2023, two full-time staff within the DCEDIY worked on the European Child Guarantee, however, they both had additional work-related responsibilities. The head of EU and International Unit acts as the European Child Guarantee coordinator.
The NAP includes data and statistics on children in vulnerable cohorts in Ireland such as, for example, the share or number of children living in consistent or at risk of poverty, those with disabilities or mental health issues, children with a migrant background, and those who are members of the Traveller community (Government of Ireland, 2022[44]). Moreover, as recommended by the EU, it identifies the main barriers to accessing key services that vulnerable children and their families can face in Ireland, based on inputs received from civil society and other relevant stakeholders as part of the consultation process organised for the development of the NAP. The online consultation was organised by the DCEDIY between December 2021 and January 2022 and was open to everyone. The Department received 21 submissions in total. The drafting process of the NAP was also informed by consultations with experts organised by relevant departments in the formulation of policy priorities that would have taken place outside of the actions related to the European Child Guarantee (Government of Ireland, 2022[44]).
The NAP outlines the existing and planned initiatives aiming to remove barriers which impede children to access key services. Each universal or sectoral intervention is accompanied by the indication of the European Child Guarantee action it refers to, as well as the specification of the target group, the number of children and families impacted, and the stakeholder leading within the government. As universal actions, the NAP highlights the commitment to piloting Local Area Child Poverty Plans in four CYPSC areas in co-operation with their corresponding Local Community and Development Committees, as well as the promotion of awareness campaigns regarding the provision of key services referenced under the European Child Guarantee (Government of Ireland, 2022[44]).
There is no specific budget allocated to support the co-ordination of the NAP. Still, the Plan provides some details on the yearly expenditures made on programmes led by different departments, which are aligned with the objectives of the European Child Guarantee, amounting to a total of €7.8bn (Government of Ireland, 2022[44]). The NAP highlights that the majority of funding for the implementation of the initiatives included in the Plan comes from the Irish Exchequer, the government’s main accounting fund. Relevant departments are responsible for securing funding for the implementation of their initiatives targeting children and young people in need. It also clarifies that some other projects are being considered for funding under the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) – the EU’s main instrument for investing in people, including children – and that new EU-funded projects could emerge after the adoption of the new national policy framework for children and young people, Young Ireland (Government of Ireland, 2022[44]).
Implementation of the European Child Guarantee National Action Plan
While the DCEDIY is in charge of coordinating the implementation of the NAP, the Plan also identifies the Departments of Education, Health, Social Protection, and Housing, Local Government and Heritage as leads in driving specific projects in line with their respective mandates to provide relevant services (Government of Ireland, 2022[44]). As stated in the NAP, its implementation (and monitoring) should fall under the umbrella structures created for the new national policy framework for children and young people (Government of Ireland, 2022[44]). With Young Ireland in place, the NAP is expected to align with its strategic objectives (Government of Ireland, 2022[44]). In particular, focusing the NAP on a sub-set of the target group covered by BOBF 2014-20 and currently by Young Ireland (namely, children and young people in need), it will use the same governance and monitoring structures as Young Ireland. This integration will allow its actions to be considered within a broader policy context and help enhance service delivery in areas not explicitly addressed by the ECG (DCEDIY, 2023[8]).
BOBF / Young Ireland constituent strategies
During the implementation phase of BOBF 2014-20, three whole-of-government constituent strategies were elaborated to support and further develop governance capacities to deliver for children and young people, in alignment with BOBF transformational goals. Leadership, co-ordination and monitoring of these strategies fell under the remit of the DCYA/DCEDIY. Despite ad hoc structures being established to support the development and implementation of these strategies (see Table 8.2), each relied essentially on the structures established for BOBF 2014-20 – e.g., the Children and Young People’s Policy Consortium and its supportive structures such as the Sponsors Group, the Implementation Team, the Children and Young People’s Services Committees (CYPSC), the Comhairle na nÓg National Executive and the EU Structured Dialogue Working Group (Government of Ireland, 2014[45]). As constituent strategies of BOBF 2014-20, their key achievements were integrated into the BOBF final implementation report (Government of Ireland, 2020[46]).
The National Strategy on Children and Young People’s Participation in Decision-Making 2015-2020 (Government of Ireland, 2015[47]) was developed by the Citizen Participation Unit of the DCYA in 2015 to ensure that the voices of children and young people are taken into account individually and collectively in their everyday lives. To support the implementation of the strategy, the DCYA funded and oversaw the Comhairle na nÓg, Dáil na nÓg and the Children and Young People’s Participation Support Team, which comprised the DCYA Citizen Participation Unit, three regional Participation Officers and a Children’s Participation Administrator. A centre of excellence, the Hub na nÓg was established under the strategy to ensure capacity building and provide resources for service providers and policymakers to better enable children and young people’s participation. In 2021, the centre also published the National Framework for Children and Young People’s Participation in Decision-Making (Government of Ireland, 2021[48]) to provide tools and guidance and focused funding to support departments, agencies, and organisations to improve their engagement practices (see Chapter 5). According to the final review of the Strategy published in January 2023, 93% of the actions were completed or in progress (Government of Ireland, 2023[49]). A public consultation for developing the successor strategy was conducted in January 2023.
The National Youth Strategy 2015-2020 was adopted by the Government after a comprehensive consultation process to improve outcomes for young people aged 10-24 years. It set out government’s commitments to ensure a supportive environment for children and young people to achieve their full development potential in terms of health, education, and economic security outcomes. It included a list of outcomes and related actions and identified stakeholders responsible for their implementation. DCYA/DCEDIY provided leadership at the national level to ensure national policy dovetailed with local implementation. To this end, DCYA established a National Youth Strategy Lead Team as central point of contact, to communicate the Strategy and its implementation framework to stakeholders, develop a project plan, coordinate, progress and monitor its implementation and support stakeholders. To monitor progress, key indicators relevant to the youth cohort developed for BOBF 2014-2020 were utilised and progress was recorded in annual reports of BOBF 2014-2020 (Department of Children and Youth Affairs, 2015[50]).
The LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy 2018-2020 (Governement of Ireland, 2018[51]) was a cross-governmental strategy aiming at further enhancing the lives of LGBTI+ young people and addressing key challenges they face in their everyday lives. The publication of the Strategy itself was considered as a specific achievement for BOBF outcome 5. Ad hoc structures were established at the stage of the development of the strategy – an oversight committee comprising representatives from government departments, LGBTI+ organisations of young people and experts supporting the development of the Strategy, and a Youth Advisory Group (YAG). Additionally, a representative of the Oversight Committee established to develop the strategy was nominated to BOBF Advisory Council to represent specific LGBTI+ issues (Government of Ireland, 2020[52]). A LGBTI+ Youth Forum comprising LGBTI+ people aged from 16 to 22 was also established to ensure their participation in the implementation of the strategy (Government of Ireland, 2019[53]). An implementation report dedicated to the reviewing the LGBTI+ strategy was published by the DCYA in 2019. The report mentions that ensuring full implementation of the actions was a key challenge that required collaborative efforts between leads and partners. The lack of clear roles in the implementation of each action was considered a challenge. Ultimately, a broader LBGTI+ National Inclusion Strategy 2019-2021 (Government of Ireland, 2019[53]) was developed by the Department of Justice and Equality. An implementation committee chaired by the Minister of State for Equality, Immigration and Integration was established to lead the strategy. Although it was intended to complement the LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy, available information suggests that there were no formal links between the two strategies in terms of governance structures.
Other DCEDIY-led strategies
In addition to Young Ireland, First 5, the EU Child Guarantee NAP, and BOBF constituent strategies analysed above, there exist several other DCEDIY-led strategies in Ireland that directly or indirectly impact on child and youth outcomes (see Table 8.2) (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, 2021[54]). Such strategic documents all target specific population segments who may face additional challenges and need additional support, in line with the assessment of children and young people’s circumstances presented in Young Ireland itself. These strategies and the governance arrangements in place to drive their implementation are mapped and discussed below.
Migrant Integration Strategy 2017-2020
The Migrant Integration Strategy (MIS) 2017-2020 (Government of Ireland, 2017[55]) was adopted in 2017 by the Office for the Promotion of Migrant Integration (OPMI) within the Department of Justice. Its objective was to enable migrants or persons of migrant origin, including children and young people, to participate on an equal basis with those of Irish heritage.
The MIS was a whole-of-government strategy involving actions by all Departments. More broadly, it was directed at Government Departments, public bodies, the business sector, community, voluntary, faith-based, cultural, and sporting organisations as well as families and individuals. Most of the actions concerned education under the leadership of the Department of Education and Skills. DCYA/DCEDIY led on one action on inclusive youth work and youth work funding for children and young people from ethnic and religious minorities, migrants, refugees, asylum seekers.
In 2020, responsibility for migrant integration, including the oversight of MIS, was transferred under the remit of the DCEDIY (Government of Ireland, n.a.[56]). The Migrant Integration Strategy Monitoring and Co-ordination Committee, chaired by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, was set up to oversee implementation and provide recommendations on actions to be adjusted or added. The Committee included senior officials from government departments and agencies, as well as representatives from NGOs (Government of Ireland, n.a.[56]). Although this strategy fell under the remit of DCEDIY, there were no links made with BOBF 2014-20. A mid-term review of MIS highlighted the importance of the whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to successful integration. However, it found that monitoring cross-cutting actions was difficult due to the variety of Government Departments and Agencies involved. Moreover, engagement of all members of the Monitoring and Co-ordination Committee has been varied due to competing priorities. Similarly, awareness among local authorities on implementation obligations and migrant communities on opportunities provided by MIS has been uneven despite their critical roles (Government of Ireland, 2019a[57]).
The strategy was extended until 2021 to allow its actions to continue to be implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to facilitate the development of a new strategic policy approach to migrant integration (Government of Ireland, 2020[58]). A joint review of the implementation processes underpinning the Migrant Integration Strategy, the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy and the National Strategy for Women and Girls (see below) has been commissioned by the DCEDIY and published in May 2023 (The Centre for Effective Studies, 2023[59]). The results of the review will support the Government in developing a successor framework to the MIS. Public consultations to inform the development of a new strategy have been launched in October 2023.
National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021
The National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021 (Government of Ireland, 2017[60]) was adopted in 2017 as a cross-sectoral framework by the Irish Government to address the needs of people with disabilities. The strategy refers to BOBF 2014-2020 as containing a number of commitments from across Government that are relevant to children and young people with a disability (Government of Ireland, 2017[60]). Key actions were defined under each theme and objective, and responsibility for implementation spelled out across departments, with shared responsibilities identified for cross-cutting actions. The strategy also invited departments to include actions to be delivered by the agencies under their remit and specified that the strategy should be reviewed regularly including for adding new actions.
The strategy was developed through a consultative process involving already existing structures specialised on disability – the Disability Stakeholders Group (DSG), the National Disability Inclusion Strategy Steering Group (NDISSG), the National Disability Authority (NDA) and the National Disability Strategy Interdepartmental Committee (Government of Ireland, 2017[60]). The NDISSG comprised key government departments, the NDA, and the DSG, and was responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Strategy. The NDISSG worked on annual plans and met four times a year. Departmental consultative committees (DCC) were established within each government departments to oversee and monitor the strategy, which reportedly helped promote accountability within and across departments and facilitate inter-departmental co-ordination. Still, the independent assessment of the Strategy’s progress made by the NDA in 2019 identified the need to further enhance structures to improve collaboration and delivery of cross-sectorial actions (Government of Ireland, 2019[61]). The DCC submitted progress reports to the National Disability Authority, which worked on identifying issues ahead of NDISSG meetings. The Minister of State with special responsibility for Disability Issues chaired the NDISSG and played a central role in ensuring cross-sectoral co-operation. As a member of the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform, the Minister of State contributed to ensuring the involvement of the Taoiseach and the co-operation with other ministers, whenever needed to avoid blockages and keep all parties informed (Government of Ireland, 2017[60]). The mid-term review of 2019 identified improved communication and engagement by Governments Departments on disability issues but highlighted the need to raise awareness on the strategy in the society. It also found that implementation at the local level could have benefited from sectoral plans, more concrete people-centred actions, and adequate resources (Department of Justice and Equality, 2020[62]). The strategy was extended to 2022 and adapted in the aftermath of the 2019 mid-term review. The government is currently working on a successor strategy and to this effect has launched a public consultation initiative at the end of 2023 (Government of Ireland, 2023[63]).
National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020
The National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020 was adopted in 2017 to advance gender equality in Ireland under a whole-of-government policy framework aiming at supporting Ireland’s implementation of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (Department of Justice and Equality, 2017[64]). Developed through a consultative process with public stakeholders and civil society, it set out a series of actions to promote women’s equality, diversity and leadership in the politics, business, in sport, in politics, in the arts and local communities, and targets women of all ages and from all communities, rural and urban. By focusing on girls as well, and aiming to advance socio-economic equality, improve their physical and mental health, and ensure their visibility in society and their equal and active citizenship, the Strategy aligns with the Five National Outcomes included in BOBF 2014-2020 and in Young Ireland.
The implementation of the Strategy was overseen by a Strategy Committee chaired by the Minister for Justice and Equality with special responsibility for Equality, Immigration, and Integration. Members included various Government Departments, such as the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Department of Justice and Equality, the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Social Protection or the Department of Health, and further stakeholders, such as the Health Service Executive, the County and City Management Association or the National Women’s Council of Ireland (Department of Justice and Equality, 2017[64]). The role of the Strategy Committee was to advise the Department of Justice and Equality on the preparation and implementation of the Strategy, including on identification of priorities and relevant issues for the implementation, and developing indicators for monitoring progress on individual actions and across objectives on gender equality. Based on the Strategy Committee’s work, annually progress reports were presented to the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform. The Strategy Committee was supported by the Gender Equality Division in the Department of Justice and Equality who also co-ordinated the implementation of the Strategy. In addition, inter-Departmental teams were established to facilitate the Strategy’s implementation (Department of Justice and Equality, 2017[64]). In 2019, a cross-sectoral Period Poverty Sub-Committee of the National Strategy for Women and Girls Strategy Committee was established to assess the Strategy’s framework on addressing period poverty in Ireland (Period Poverty Sub-Committee, 2021[65]).
Despite high-level engagement of the stakeholders and buy-in from senior officials, such as the Minister chairing the Strategy Committee, it was reported in a progress report that the visibility of the Strategy and its recognition outside the equality sector among public, private and community actors could have been increased, especially with regards to embedding gender equality in decision-making (Department of Justice and Equality, 2018[66]). It was also noted that vaguely defined actions made it difficult to develop adequate indicators, and that a number of actions were significantly delayed due the lack of (human) resources. However, according to the Department of Justice and Equality, continuous reviews and adaptation of measures helped ensure that actions could be delivered (Department of Justice and Equality, 2018[66]). Considering the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on planned work, the implementation of the strategy was extended until end of 2021 (The Centre for Effective Studies, 2023[59]).
National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021
The National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021 was adopted in 2017. Recognisant of the fact that Travellers and Roma are among the most disadvantaged and marginalised people in Ireland, and developed with insights drawn from a consultative process, it set out objectives targeting children and youth across the whole of government, such as in education, health, gender equality and anti-discrimination and equality (Department of Justice and Equality, 2017[67]).
Until 2020, the Department of Justice and Equality led the implementation of actions, co-ordinating with relevant Government Departments on the implementation of actions and compiling periodic reports on the state of implementation. As of 2020, DCEDIY was established as lead department for the Strategy’s implementation. The National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy Steering Group was responsible for highlighting priority actions, discussing output indicators to monitor the performance and publishing annual reports on progress (Department of Justice and Equality, 2017[67]). The Steering Group consisted of members from relevant Government Departments, such as DCEDIY, the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Health, the Department of Social Protection, Tusla and Traveller and Roma representatives and stakeholders (Department of Justice and Equality, 2017[67]).
While not containing any references to BOBF 2014-2020, the national policy framework on children and young people specifically mentioned the Government’s commitment to promoting the inclusion of Roma and monitoring the National Travellers and Roma Strategies hereto. The Strategy contained several direct references to seek complimentary with other government initiatives related to children and youth, such as the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education, or relevant structures, such as Comhairle na nÓg, the Children and Young People’s Participation Hub, and the Education and Training Boards (Department of Justice and Equality, 2017[67]).
Although the Steering Group comprised a wide range of Government representatives, it was reported in OECD interviews that the implementation of the Strategy could have been strengthened by greater trust, communication, as well as stronger clarity of leads and ownership across all stakeholders. Providing more administrative support to the Steering Group and concerned Departments could have improved some of these aspects and facilitated inter-departmental co-operation to advance the timely implementation of actions under the responsibility of line Departments, such as individual implementation plans or rigorous monitoring and evaluation obligations. According to OECD interviews, this was partly mitigated by an inclusive implementation process with Traveller and Roma representatives that allowed for actions to be appropriately adapted to local contexts. However, an evaluation report funded by the European Commission also reported potential to improve Roma participation in policy development (European Commission, 2022[68]).
Strategies pertinent to children and young people in specific policy sectors
In Ireland, some relevant policy frameworks with important commitments to children and young people focus on specific policy areas and are mainly led by Departments other than DCEDIY, as briefly illustrated in Box 8.2. Due to the proliferation of relevant strategic documents, the list does not claim to be complete but focuses on the most relevant sectoral strategies.
Box 8.5. Relevant sectoral strategies and plans shaping child and youth outcomes
In education policy, there are at least nine strategies covering children, such as the Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice 2019, Cineáltas Action Plan on Bullying, Ireland’s Whole Education Approach to preventing and addressing bullying at school, the Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 and the DEIS Plan 2017 – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools. For young people, the National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 focuses on teaching and learning, research, and engagement.
In health policy, there are at least fourteen strategies, including the Child Health and Nutrition Policy, the National Drugs Strategy Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery 2017-2025, the Healthy Ireland Strategic Action Plan 2021-2025, and the National Traveller Health Action Plan 2022-2027. The Sláintecare Implementation Strategy and Action Plan, running from 2021-2023, promotes a healthcare system, where the majority of services are delivered in the community and access is based on need, not on the ability to pay.
Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-25 and Pathways to Work 2021-2025: they are, respectively, Ireland’s national strategy for poverty reduction and improved social inclusion, and Ireland’s national employment strategy. Both strategies cover issues of poverty and exclusion for children and young people, either directly, for young people, or by addressing the outcomes of families, for children.
Tusla Child Protection and Welfare Strategy 2017-2022: this document set out a strategic vision to improve child protection and welfare services in Ireland through six specific interconnected objectives. It aimed to provide an appropriate, proportionate, timely response to children “at risk/in need”, sharing responsibility and control with families and communities through co-created solutions and interagency collaboration. This approach promotes a strong focus on participative safety planning as an effective means of preventing children from entering alternative care. While officially launched by Tusla, the Strategy’s design and implementation occurred under the governance of DCEDIY.
National Youth Justice Strategy 2021-2027: developed under the guidance of an expert Steering Group chaired by the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, this Strategy focuses on the need to maximise opportunities to promote positive behavioural change. It includes a wide range of issues relevant to children and young people at risk of coming into contact with the criminal justice system, such as: early intervention and preventative work; family support; diversion from crime; court processes; supervision and support in the community; detention and support post release.
Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027: launched in March 2023 by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, this plan seeks to embed creativity at the heart of young people’s lives, from birth up to 24 years old, where it can contribute to their happiness, wellbeing, and personal development. As part of its main strategic objectives, the Plan aims to “strengthen equity of access to creative activities for the most seldom heard children and young people”.
Youth Homelessness Strategy 2023-2025: promoted by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, this three-year strategy aims at ending homelessness for young people aged 18-24 through prevention and exit strategies and improving the experience of young people assessing emergency accommodation.
Sources: (Department of Education, 2022[69]); (Department of Education, 2017[70]); (Department of Education and Skills, 2011[71]); (Department of Education, 2022[72]); (Department of Health, 2017[73]); (Department of Health, 2021[74]); (Department of Health, 2021[75]); (Department of Health, 2022[76]); (Department of Social Protection, 2020[77]); (Department of Social Protection, 2021[78]); (Tusla, 2017[79]); (Department of Justice, 2021[80]); (Government of Ireland, 2023[81]); (Government of Ireland, 2022[82]).
Moreover, Ireland has developed several frameworks and standards of direct relevance to children and young people:
National Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework: this framework aims at improving mental health and well-being of young people. The framework is supplemented by an implementation guide including good practice actions and a list of resources for each issue. It covers a range of areas such as prevention, early intervention, and crisis support (Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, 2020[83]).
National Quality Standards Framework for Youth Work: this framework provides standards to improve the effectiveness of youth work service provision in Ireland. It includes performance indicators to assess the standards’ implementation, as well as monitoring tools (Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, 2010[84]).
National Quality Standards Framework for Volunteer-led Youth Groups: this framework provides core principles and standards for staff-led youth work projects and services. It includes indicators and guidance to facilitate the implementation of the principles. The standards aim at ensuring that all programmes and practices are young person-centred and promote safety, wellbeing, and the development of young people (Department of Children and Youth Affairs, 2013[85]).
Healthy Ireland Framework 2019-2025: this framework aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people with a focus on prevention, on children and young people, and on keeping people healthier for longer periods of their life (Department of Health, 2021[74]).
Draft National Standards for Children's Social Services: these standards provide a framework for the provision of high-quality services for children in Ireland. They cover a range of areas, including child protection, education, health, and social care (Health Information and Quality Authority, 2021[86]).
Promoting policy coherence in a complex policy and governance landscape
Overall, the above discussion has shed light on a complex policy landscape in Ireland directed, either wholly or partially, towards tackling poverty and improving policy outcomes for children and young people. Indeed, children and young people have specific needs and interests across all policy and service areas including in education, health, justice, housing, transportation, sports, gender equality and environment, among others (OECD, 2020[6]), which may lead to the development of various initiatives, programmes, strategies, and policy frameworks.
However, such a proliferation of strategies brings about several challenges – information overload for policymakers and stakeholders, complex governance arrangements, risk of limited accountability, overlaps – that might result in a diffusion of responsibilities to the detriment of the effectiveness of those strategic documents. Ensuring that these strategies are aligned, complementary, and effectively implemented is an ongoing challenge for policymakers. This is particularly relevant in the current Irish context, with the recent launch of Young Ireland aiming to provide a national overarching framework for the development of child and youth policies, and the ongoing efforts to develop new equality strategies with an impact on children and young people. In the OECD area, countries have adopted various approaches to promote coherence across the various efforts to address child poverty and to improve policy outcomes for children and young people, while fostering effective co-ordination and collaboration, as illustrated in Box 8.6.
Box 8.6. Promoting coherence in the implementation of child and youth policy frameworks
New Zealand’s Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy: A national framework to align policy development
Prior to the adoption of New Zealand’s Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy, the “fragmentation of efforts” represented a key problem in addressing children and young people’s needs. The Strategy acknowledges the need to address fragmentation and lack of co-ordination across national agencies (ministries or departments), and between national and local government, as well as between government and non-governmental stakeholders in terms of service delivery.
Various areas of work and action plans implemented across the government complement and support the aims of the Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy, including the Maternity Whole of System Action Plan; the Review of the Well Child Tamariki Ora programme; the Education System Transformation; the Welfare System Overhaul; the Youth Plan; the Oranga Tamariki Action Plan; the Learning Support Action Plan; the Disability Action Plan; the Strategy and Action Plan to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence; and others. Many of these are explicit about the way in which they contribute to the Strategy.
The Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy aims at promoting policy coherence by providing an overarching framework for policy development at national level and for aligning the work of governmental bodies and other relevant stakeholders through joined-up planning. It also aspires to better align government action with community action to create the transformative change required for the Strategy to achieve its vision and make New Zealand “the best place in the world for children and young people”. This is done through governance structures (such as the Strategy Ministerial Group, Social Wellbeing Board, etc.). At each level, part of the function is to ensure that the broader work across the children’s space aligns with the overarching outcomes of the Strategy. One of the functions of the CWPRG is to promote understanding and use of the Strategy through communications and engagement, including guidelines for engagement and webinars in various topics.
Spain’s National Strategy for the Rights of Childhood and Adolescence: A framework encompassing all other national child-related strategies
In Spain, three main strategies exist to address the needs of children at the State level: the State Action Plan for the Implementation of the European Child Guarantee 2022-2030 (Plan de Acción Estatal para la Implementación de la Garantía Infantil Europea 2022-2030); the Strategy for the Eradication of Violence against Children and Adolescents (Estrategia de Erradicación de la Violencia contra la infancia y adolescencia); and the National Strategy for the Rights of Childhood and Adolescence (Estrategia Estatal de los Derechos de la Infancia y de la Adolescencia 2023-2030).
The National Strategy for the Rights of Childhood and Adolescence is intended to be the framework that integrates the other two child-related strategies, as well as other strategies and action plans, such as the Strategy for People with Disabilities 2022-2030; the National Strategy for Equality, Inclusion and Participation of the Roma People 2021-2030, the Development Strategy, the III Strategic Plan for the Effective Equality between Women and Men 2022-2025, the State Strategy to Combat Gender-based Violence 2022-2025, and the Youth Strategy 2030, which in turn have their own plans and implementation arrangements.
Despite having their own plans and implementation arrangements, these sectoral strategies all feed into the monitoring, evaluation and accountability process of the National Strategy for the Rights of Childhood and Adolescence. The Strategy’s first intermediate implementation report will be published in 2024.
As discussed in the previous sections, in Ireland there is a myriad of strategies and frameworks related to child and youth well-being, which involve the same stakeholders responsible for their implementation, including government departments and agencies, NGOs, and community groups. This broad ecosystem of umbrella and constituent strategies raises a considerable risk of information overload for policymakers and stakeholders involved in the delivery of policies and services for children and young people. In addition, such proliferation of strategies is accompanied by a complex governance environment, pointing to a need to streamline mechanisms for inter-departmental and inter-agency co-ordination, as well as to establish effective mechanisms for data collection and sharing, and strong (shared and department-specific) accountability systems. This is particularly critical to promote collective responsibility and avoid a diffusion of responsibility (O’Toole Jr, 1985[89]) (Liu, 2022[90]) and “social loafing” (Simms, 2014[91]) – the tendency of individuals to put forth less effort when they are part of a group. Ultimately, with such a proliferation of strategies, there is an important risk of overlap between them. Ensuring coherence of existing and future frameworks and alignment with international standards and good practices also contributes to their effective implementation and coherent evaluation. This challenge is well acknowledged by the Government of Ireland, which notes in the EU Child Guarantee National Action Plan itself “a significant degree of overlap between the objectives of the strategies and policies […] and the various [age] cohorts they are seeking to serve” (Government of Ireland, 2022[44]).
Lessons learnt and Young Ireland’s potential to address remaining challenges
Against this backdrop, Young Ireland has been developed with the aim to improve alignment of strategic approaches as well as to strengthen lines of accountability to promote better outcomes for children and young people across the whole of government. This aligns with the other recent legal and institutional reform efforts aimed at strengthening policy and governance systems in the child and youth sector, as discussed earlier in this chapter and in Chapter 4.
As described previously, the implementation of Young Ireland and other relevant child and youth policies and strategies will rely on governance structures similar to the ones established under BOBF 2014-20, albeit with adjustments in composition, members’ recruitment, and turnover (DCEDIY, 2023[8]). A greater role assigned to the Senior Officials’ Group – gathering with members from across relevant Government departments – is expected to bolster cross-governmental measures and contribute to driving their implementation. Furthermore, the identification of “Spotlights” – as the greatest challenges for children and young people requiring focused action across Government in a time-bound way (DCEDIY, 2023[8]) – is expected to foster a cross-government approach and bring a strategic focus to a select set of priority commitments to accelerate implementation and progress.
Going forward, to ensure the enduring sustainability of this collective agenda, it would be important to accompany these efforts with the development of a culture of collaboration among all relevant departments and agencies. This cultural shift would prevent isolated efforts and promote comprehensive approaches to addressing the diverse need of children and young people. Fostering a stronger collaborative culture would not only enhance the effectiveness of policies but also pave the way for improved outcomes, ultimately benefiting children and young people in Ireland.
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[24] Ombudsman for Children’s Office (2018), Molly’s case: How Tusla and the HSE provided and coordinated support for a child with a disability in the care of the State, https://www.oco.ie/app/uploads/2018/01/OCO-Investigation-Mollys-Case-Jan-2018.pdf.
[89] O’Toole Jr, L. (1985), Diffusion of Responsibility: An Interoganizational Analysis 1, https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-009-5089-4_12.
[65] Period Poverty Sub-Committee (2021), Period Poverty in Ireland. Discussion Paper, https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/122535/db3c2a18-297a-40de-a2bd-c5707961799e.pdf#page=null.
[91] Simms, A. (2014), “Social loafing: A review of the literature”, Journal of Management, Vol. 15(1), pp. pp.58-67.
[59] The Centre for Effective Studies (2023), Realising the promise of national equality policy: An evaluation of the processes of implementation of three national equality strategies, https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/263523/64481c7e-eeb8-46a0-b09f-8c27e3864978.pdf#page=null.
[79] Tusla (2017), Child Protection and Welfare Strategy 2017-2022, https://www.tusla.ie/uploads/content/Tusla_Child_Protection_and_Welfare_Strategy.pdf.
Notes
← 1. The Ministers attending meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Children and Education include the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence; Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport; Minister for Health, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Minister for Education; Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform; Minister for Finance; Minister for Social Protection and Minister for Rural and Community Development; Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage; and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. Other Ministers or Ministers of State may be invited to participate in Cabinet meetings as required.
← 2. Idem.
← 3. The Indicator Set tracks progress for people aged 0–24 across the five national outcomes outlined in BOBF 2014-20. While not purposed to provide a causal relation between commitments undertaken by the government and measured outcomes, it supports public bodies to track progress, identify needs, set priorities and inform policy evaluation.