Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 November 2014
24. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to his speech in Dáil Éireann on 16 October 2014 following the announcement of budget 2015, if he will provide a detailed report on his Department’s engagement with the Child and Family Agency in rolling out a model of an out-of-hours service throughout the country. [43934/14]
View answerThe Child and Family Agency provides a range of services aimed at addressing emergency situations in the area of child welfare and protection. In the main, these emergency situations arise out of hours.
At present, out of hours emergency services for children at risk in the greater Dublin area (Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow) are provided by the Child and Family Agency through the Crisis Intervention Service. The remit of the service is to respond to crisis situations in which a child or young person requires immediate placement either due to child protection or welfare concerns. This service is delivered by the Child and Family Agency social work service.
Outside the greater Dublin area, an Emergency Place of Safety Service (EPSS) is provided for the Agency under a commercial arrangement with Five Rivers Ireland. Under Section 12 of the Child Care Act, 1991, a member of An Garda Síochána may remove a child to a place of safety where they have reasonable grounds for believing that there is an immediate risk to the welfare or safety of a child. The child is placed in a family setting until the following working day, when the local social work service assumes responsibility for the case. The objective is to build on the existing arrangements by ensuring that An Garda Síochána can consult with a social worker out of hours. The service will be known as the Emergency Out of Hours Service.
Provision for the development of this service was included in the Child and Family Agency Business Plan for 2014. Discussions with the staff side are progressing with a view to ensuring the early introduction of this extended service.
A draft Joint Protocol between the Child and Family Agency, An Garda Síochána and Five Rivers Ireland is also being finalised. This will set out the official policy and procedure governing the joint actions of the three agencies in the performance of activities regarding the provision of an appropriate response and place of safety for children found to be at risk outside normal working hours and removed by An Garda Síochána under section 12 of the Child Care Act, 1991.
Progress with regard to the introduction of the service is being closely monitored by my Department and my officials will continue to keep me apprised of developments.
