The policy responsibility for homeless children, insofar as it extends to my Department, relates to children under 18 who are not in the care of their parents or guardians in the context of the Child Care Act 1991 and to young people who were formerly in the care of the State and presently in receipt of aftercare services. The accommodation needs of these young people will be identified as part of their aftercare plan. The accommodation needs of children who are in the care of their parents where the family is homeless are the responsibility of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and local authorities.
The Child Care Act 1991 provides that children under 18 years of age, who present as out of home, can be received into care where this is in their best interests. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has its own operational policy which states that accommodating a child under Section 5 of the 1991 Act will only apply to children aged 16 or 17 and only where their best interests would not be met by being received into care. Tusla is establishing local inter-agency committees to oversee implementation of aftercare plans to cater for young adults leaving care who are at risk of homelessness. My Department, Tusla and the County and City Management Association have agreed a protocol to reduce this risk.
It would not be appropriate for Tusla to intervene and take children into care when families become homeless. These parents remain their children’s primary carer - their financial situation is not grounds for removing children from their care. Tusla’s role is to support them in the same way that it supports any family where child welfare issues are identified, to provide family support and assess any child protection concern that arise. Where Tusla identifies underlying problems such as parental mental heath, addiction or parenting problems, it can refer the family to the appropriate service or provide the support and oversight needed to ensure the welfare and protection of the children.
In February 2013, the Minister for Housing and Planning published the Government's Homelessness Policy Statement which aims to end long term homelessness by the end of 2016. The availability and supply of secure, affordable and adequate housing is essential for family life. My officials and I are engaged with the Minister and the Homelessness Oversight Group to progress this issue.
On the 4th of December, 2014, Minister Kelly hosted a special summit on homelessness to reaffirm the Government's commitment to end involuntary long-term homelessness, including that of families with children, by the end of 2016. A number of actions arising from the summit were formalised into an action plan to address homelessness, and substantial progress has been made in implementing that plan. Overall progress is overseen by the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform. The plan and progress reports are available on the website of Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
The December 2014 Action Plan to Address Homelessness includes a commitment for Tusla and Dublin City Council to co-ordinate operations to ensure that services are fully responsive to the particular protection and welfare needs that might arise for families in emergency accommodation.
Tusla has had meetings with Focus Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and Dublin City Council in relation to vulnerable families and issues facing care leavers. Tusla intends to create a multi-agency protocol to be clear about individual agency and multi-agency responsibilities with regard to homelessness, and work on this will commence shortly.
