Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 July 2021
85. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which ongoing efforts continue to be made to augment services for the protection of children with particular reference to the need for early response and safe and secure placement in circumstances in which threatening issues have arisen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36214/21]
View answerDeputy, thank you for this very important question.
The Child and Family Agency, Tusla, is the dedicated State agency responsible for improving child welfare and protection outcomes for children. As the Deputy may be aware, I secured an additional €61M for the Agency in 2021. This brings the total budget of the Agency to €878M.
Tusla’s Child Protection and Welfare Strategy 2017-2022 outlines its strategic vision to provide an appropriate, proportionate and timely response to children at risk or in need of support in Ireland. Similarly its business plan and corporate strategy are all orientated to improve services, including those for children in care.
Tusla has a statutory duty under the Child Care Act 1991 to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. Tusla assesses all child protection and welfare concerns that are reported to it. If it is found that a child is not receiving adequate care and protection, Tusla has a duty to take appropriate action to promote the welfare of the child. This may include supporting families in need of assistance in providing care and protection to their children. The Child Care Act also sets out the statutory framework for taking children into care if necessary. Tusla received approximately 60,000 referrals of concern in 2020. Many of these concerns are best served by a family support approach while some children need the direct intervention of a child protection approach.
An Garda Síochána has powers under Section 12 of the Child Care Act 1991 to remove a child from a situation of danger and, under Section 13, to deliver that child into the custody of Tusla. Tusla will at that point carry out an assessment to determine the child's needs.
Tusla provides an Out of Hours Service (OHS) and Emergency Out of Hours Service (EOHS) to ensure the safety and welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection outside of normal office hours. The Service provides support and assistance to An Garda Síochána and foster carers outside of regular business hours. The service also provides emergency care placements for children as required. A growing feature of this services is where parents of older children, aged 15 and 16, seek assistance with their children outside of office hours.
Once a child has been received into care, the most crucial task for the social worker is to find a placement that matches that child's needs. Ideally this is with foster carers in the communities in which they live. Social workers recruit foster carers on an ongoing basis and Tusla places over 91% of children in care in foster placements.
A key part of the social worker role is to develop, in consultation with the child and relevant others, a care plan which will guide the quality and safety of the child's placement, and to meet with the child on a one to one basis on all visits. There are safeguards surrounding each child's care placement, whether foster or residential care, and all placements are supervised by a professionally qualified social worker.
Services provided by Tusla are subject to internal reviews and audits and are also the subject of HIQA inspections in relation to Child Protection Services, Foster Care Services, Special Care and Tusla run Children's Residential Centres. This monitoring of provided services ensures issues that are identified can be addressed and the quality of service is maintained or improved. In addition, the Ombudsman for Children and Tusla’s own National Review Panel will report on specific topics relating to the work of Tusla which prompts further improvements in Tusla services.
Throughout the pandemic and current effects of the cyber-attack of Friday 14 May 2021 Tusla has continued to provide essential child protection services and services to children in care.
Tusla and my Department have taken numerous steps to respond to the public health crisis including increasing the number of foster carers through the implementation of emergency measures that allow swift recruitment and approval of foster carers and suspending a requirement to allow for more than two unrelated children to be placed with approved foster carers, if necessary.
The recent cyber-attack on HSE IT systems has also impacted on Tusla’s operations. However, it continues to provide a full range of services and supports, with social workers and social care workers around the country continuing their core work with children and families, supported by manual systems. Priority is being accorded to Child Protection and Children in Care Services (including assessment of risk). While the referrals portal for this service is impacted, referrals are being taken via phone and post and anyone with a concern is being asked to contact their local duty social work office. Contact details are available on Tusla's website at www.tusla.ie/about/ict-update/
The National Childcare Information System (NCCIS) has recently been restored; this is a significant step in recovering from the cyberattack.
I trust the points above give some clarification on how my Department and agencies under its remit continue to improve and evolve services provided for the protection of children.
