16 Jul 2015, 16:15
Separately, Committee to meet Chair Designate of Irish Blood Transfusion Service
16 July 2015
The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children convenes tomorrow Friday for an update on the work of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. Chief Executive Gordon Jeyes will address the Committee, along with senior officials. The meeting will give the Committee an opportunity to receive an update on the steps Tusla has been taking following the disclosure that hundreds of files in the Laois/Offaly area went missing.
The Child and Family Agency is the dedicated State agency responsible for improving wellbeing and outcomes for children. Its services include a range of universal and targeted services, including child protection and welfare; alternative care; family and community support; educational welfare services; and services to deal with domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.
Chairman of the Committee Jerry Buttimer TD says: “On 30 April, Minster for Children James Reilly TD publicly updated the Dáil sub-Committee on Children on unidentified files uncovered in the Laois /Offaly area relating to child safety. We took an early opportunity to engage with Mr Jeyes the following week, where a number of concerns were raised on Tusla’s systems, including their reliance on an antiquated IT system and the lack of a centralised database. Tomorrow’s meeting will be an opportunity to update the Committee on its activities, including an update on the issue of the missing files, and the related national audit being conducted to ensure verification of all known cases awaiting allocation to a social worker.\"
Separately, at 12 noon, the Committee will engage with Prof Anthony Staines, Chairperson Designate of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS).
Deputy Buttimer says that the meeting will provide an opportunity to hear from Prof Staines on his vision for the Service. “The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is the State body with responsibility for the collection, processing, testing and distribution of blood and blood products. We look forward to engaging with Prof Staines on what he sees are the opportunities and challenges for the IBTS in the immediate and longer terms. Following tomorrow’s meeting a decision will be taken by the Minister for Health to confirm Ms McManus’s appointment.”
The meeting takes place tomorrow Friday 17 July at 10:30 am in Committee Room 2, Leinster House 2000.
The first session with Mr Jeyes will be broadcast on Oireachtas TV, available throughout Ireland on UPC 207, Sky 574 and eVision 504. Proceedings of both sessions can be followed live here.
Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.
ENDS
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Committee Membership:
Deputies: Jerry Buttimer (Chair), Catherine Byrne, Ciara Conway (Vice-Chair), Regina Doherty, Peter M Fitzpatrick, Seamus Healy, Billy Kelleher, Eamonn Maloney, Clare Daly, Sandra McLellan, Michael McNamara, Dan Neville, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and Robert Troy
Senators: Colm Burke, Thomas Byrne, John Crown, John Gilroy, Imelda Henry and Jillian Van Turnhout