Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 16 September 2016
1914. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children in emergency accommodation by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24556/16]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency, has advised that it does not collect the data in the format requested by the Deputy. Information is available for emergency out of hours services by administrative area and is provided in the tables below. Tusla's services ensure the availability of accommodation and places of safety for children at risk outside of normal working hours. This is provided through the Emergency Out-of-Hours Social Work Service (EOHS), with specific supports from the Crisis Intervention Service and through the Emergency Place of Safety System (EPSS).
The number of children placed with the Out-of-Hours Crisis Intervention Service in 2015 was 248 children. The total number of children placed with the emergency out of hours place of safety service (EPSS) in 2015 was 280 children.
Emergency accommodation is provided through the Out-of-Hours Crisis Intervention Service in counties Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow, Cork Out-of-Hours service and Emergency Place of Safety foster placements, which are provided by an external contractor for Tusla. The EPSS provides foster care placements for children who have been removed under Section 12 of the Child Care Act, outside of normal office hours, on an emergency basis by An Garda Síochána.
Accommodation for children and families who find themselves to be homeless is provided through the local authority. Data on the number of children and families who are in emergency homeless accommodation is collated by and is available on the website of the Department of Housing, Planning, Community, and Local Government: http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/homelessness/other/homelessness-data.
Table 1: Number of children placed with the Emergency Place of Safety Service
|
Total 2015 |
Q. 1 2016 |
|
|
Dublin South Central |
0 |
0 |
|
Dublin South East/ Wicklow |
6 |
0 |
|
Dublin South West/Kildare/West Wicklow |
5 |
0 |
|
Midlands |
27 |
6 |
|
Dublin North City |
1 |
0 |
|
Dublin North |
14 |
0 |
|
Louth/Meath |
39 |
15 |
|
Cavan/Monaghan |
22 |
2 |
|
Cork |
54 |
1 |
|
Kerry |
7 |
2 |
|
Carlow/Kilkenny/South Tipperary |
14 |
3 |
|
Waterford/Wexford |
20 |
4 |
|
Mid west |
25 |
1 |
|
Galway/Roscommon |
28 |
5 |
|
Mayo |
10 |
1 |
|
Donegal |
5 |
2 |
|
Sligo/Leitrim/West Cavan |
3 |
1 |
|
Total |
280 |
43 |
Children placed with Out of Hours Crisis Intervention Service
|
Total 2015 |
Q. 1 2016 |
|
|
Dublin South Central |
48 |
17 |
|
Dublin South East/ Wicklow |
23 |
8 |
|
Dublin South West/Kildare/West Wicklow |
59 |
10 |
|
Midlands |
2 |
0 |
|
Dublin North East Region |
98 |
19 |
|
Other Referral Sources |
11 |
4 |
|
Separated Children Seeking Asylum |
7 |
1 |
|
Total |
248 |
59 |
