Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 November 2015
349. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the current Tusla, Child and Family Agency, operations in County Donegal; the locations of its local area offices; the range of services and supports it offers in each office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40252/15]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency, provide and fund a wide range of services within the county of Donegal. These include social work services, such as child protection and welfare, alternative care including fostering services, children in care support and adoption services. Other services provided include family support, counselling, educational welfare services, domestic, sexual and gender based violence services, as well as inspecting early years services. Location and contact details for the following services are available on the Tusla website, www.tusla.ie.
- Child welfare and protection social work teams which provide social work services locally have a number of offices in Donegal.
- Fostering services to recruit potential foster carers, assess their suitability, arrange suitable training and provide ongoing support and supervision are also part of the services offered by Tusla.
- Children in care teams engage in care planning and after care planning.
- Social workers in adoption services undertake assessments to ensure the suitability of potential adoptive parents.
- Family resource centres provide universal and targeted services that address the needs of families in the local area such as family support, baby and toddler groups etc. In Donegal, there are nine family resource centres located in towns and rural areas throughout the county with details available on the website.
- Tusla also provide grants to voluntary and community organisations offering counselling and support services.
- Information and support is available regarding domestic violence, rape and sexual assault, adult survivors of child abuse, crisis accommodation and refuges, empowerment and women’s rights. Further information on contacting these services can be found at the following address: http://www.tusla.ie/services/domestic-sexual-gender-based-violence/rape-crisis-centres/.
- Educational welfare services are provided to children and their families regarding educational issues.
- Tusla is responsible for inspecting pre-schools, play groups, nurseries, crèches, day-care and similar services which cater for children aged 0-6, under the Child Care (Pre-School Services) Regulations 2006, and inspection reports are published on their website.
I trust this information is helpful to the Deputy.
