MORE centres for homeless children, a higher fostering allowance for teenagers and more family support services are included in a child care package announced by Mr Austin Currie.
The package, to be implemented by the eight regional health boards, will cost an extra £5 million a year, according to the Minister of State for Health.
His announcement came as the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children criticised the Government for being too slow to implement child care reforms.
Under the plan, the Eastern Health Board is to set up preventive services in most of its community care areas. Some will work with children and others with young teenagers. The EHB will also expand its counseling and therapy services for children, especially those who have been sexually abused.
Hostels or homes for children will be created or expanded in the North Eastern, Mid Western, North Western, South Eastern, Southern and Western health, board regions. The Midland Health Board is to appoint a deputy manager of residential care.
The foster care allowance for teenagers is to be increased from ú44.20 to ú60 a week.
The Western Health Board, the subject of harsh criticism in the recently published Kelly Fitzgerald report, is to appoint three child care managers.
In all, 50 new posts will be created, bringing to over 900 the number of new permanent posts for child care services since 1993.
The £5 million allocation "marks the final installment of the £35 million agreed for the development of child-care services following the publication of the Kilkenny Incest report," Mr Currie said. He is preparing proposals for a new child-care programme for the years 1997 to 1999.
The ISPCC said "the vast majority of the recommendations of the Kilkenny and other reports simply have not been implemented".
But it acknowledged that "there is undoubtedly a newfound commitment throughout the political system to reform and improve child-care services".
Its criticism, the ISPCC said in no way negates excellent preparatory work under way in the Department of Health or the eight regional health boards. It simply seeks to communicate its impatience and the impatience of the general public with a child care and protection system which has failed, and continues to fail, Irish children, and which remains as it does in a state of crisis."