Network welcomes children and family announcements, but calls for greater transparency on investment

Budget 2018: Issued by the Prevention and Early Intervention Network (PEIN) 10 October, 2017.

Prevention and Early Intervention groups call for dedicated ‘prevention’ category in future budgets

The Prevention and Early Intervention Network (PEIN) has welcomed a Budget 2018 announcement of €2.7m in ‘additional funding’ to the Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme in 2018.

However, in its Pre-Budget Submission PEIN had called for overall increase in State funding of prevention and early intervention programmes to €20m – and said this must remain a target for future budgets.

PEIN Chairperson Marian Quinn welcomed the announcement of an additional €41m in funding for Tusla, which includes help to further develop Family Resource Centres which are providing preventative services in communities.

PEIN welcomed the extension of the ECCE scheme to 76 weeks and 7% capitation increase to ECCE service providers.

However, PEIN said that a specific budget heading of ‘prevention and early intervention’ should be detailed in future budgets to give transparency and enable tracking of annual commitment and investment in the area.

PEIN’s pre-budget submission called for an overall investment of €160m in prevention and early intervention services in 2018, as part of a long-term plan for the sector.

Further Information
Ronan Cavanagh, Cavanagh Communications: (086) 317 9731

PEIN Pre-Budget Submission 2018: www.pein.ie

The Prevention and Early Intervention Network (PEIN) represents 33 organisations which are working to improve outcomes for children and families, with a focus on prevention and early intervention approaches.

PEIN’s Budget 2018 submission called for:

• A €54m commitment to increase the number of early intervention staff in community settings (including speech and language therapists, child psychologists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists) to reduce waiting lists and make these supports available to all families who need them in a timely manner.
• The creation of a dedicated Child and Family Community Nursing service, including 180 new staff in 2018 (€6.6m), to provide greater supports to all children and parents from pregnancy to the early years.
• Current state funding of targeted prevention and early intervention programmes – which provide additional parenting, education and health supports in communities of greatest need –to be significantly increased to €20m.
• The establishment of a €20m ‘transformation fund’ to support the recently established Prevention and Early Intervention Unit in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to better integrate prevention into planning and services across all Government Departments.
• Further recommendations included:
  • Universal access to parenting programmes during pregnancy and throughout childhood
  • An additional €9m for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
  • Ring fence a dedicated budget in Tusla for the provision of preventative services, and to support the Prevention, Partnership and Family Support Programme
  • An additional €7.5m investment in the youth sector
  • 100 additional community midwives in 2018 (€3.5m)
  • An additional month of parental leave and benefit to allow parents spend additional time with their new born
  • An additional €44 million in 2018 to implement the Affordable Childcare Scheme
  • Free GP care for all 7-12 year olds as promised in 2016 budget.