Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 February 2017
362. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the national child care information system will be fully rolled out in the Dublin region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4954/17]
View answerInvestment in ICT infrastructure is essential to support both social workers and other staff in their work. The capital provision for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency in 2016 included provision for the continued roll out of the National Child Care Information System (NCCIS). Tusla has also been provided with the requested level of capital funding for 2017 to continue the roll out of the system. The NCCIS will operate as the central national database supporting the provision of child welfare and protection services and it is a key priority for Tusla.
The system has been piloted in Tusla’s Mid-West region (North Tipperary, Clare and Limerick). Tusla intends to roll out the system nationally in all areas between now and the end of 2018.
Access to the NCCIS system will ensure that every social work department has a user-friendly technology solution to record the case history of every child, who is the subject of a child protection or welfare concern, from the point of initial referral to case closure. The system will also have the capacity to facilitate the integration and sharing of information on child protection and welfare cases between Tusla areas where appropriate. Individuals using the system will be required to have authorised access to ensure access security, data security and client privacy.
