Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 December 2016
38. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the categories of children most likely to be at risk at any given time from past experience; the extent to which adequate safeguards are now in place to facilitate early detection and remedial action; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40076/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis question relates to the identification of various categories of children who might be at risk by virtue of family circumstances, institutional or other care. It also relates to the degree to which it is possible to rapidly react to such situations and follow up to ensure their protection.
The most vulnerable children are those living with families experiencing difficulties. These include families where parents have drug or alcohol problems, or suffer mental ill-health. Children who live in homes where they are exposed to domestic violence are also at risk. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, deals immediately with emergency cases, where, for example, a child has been abandoned or is in immediate physical danger or at immediate risk of sexual abuse.
The Children First national guidance gives advice for notifying Tusla of situations where abuse is suspected. A range of professionals, including teachers, nurses, early years educators, gardaí and other health professionals who see children regularly, are in a good position to identify children at risk. Where someone has reasonable grounds for suspecting a child is being, or has been, abused, they are expected to immediately contact Tusla. The Children First Act 2015, once it is fully commenced, will place a statutory obligation on key professionals, or mandated persons, to report concerns of harm above a defined threshold to Tusla without delay. It is my intention that these provisions will be commenced by the end of 2017.
Each referral received by Tusla is assessed and dealt with on an individual basis by the relevant social work team. Preliminary screening and initial assessments of concerns are undertaken to decide the best course of action for the child and his or her family. Over half of all referrals received by Tusla relate to welfare concerns and its policy is to refer these to the relevant family and community support services. If it seems that the problem relates to abuse of the child, the child protection pathway is followed.
At the end of June 2016, a total of 13,983 child welfare concerns and 9,587 child protection concerns had been received by Tusla since the beginning of the year.
I thank the Minister for her comprehensive reply. In the absence of the full implementation of the legislation and in light of the fact that some provisions will not be enforced until the end of 2017, is she satisfied that, in the interim, adequate provision is in place to ensure that nobody will fall between the cracks and that situations which may not be in a child’s interests will be capable of being addressed?
A couple of weeks ago, I chaired the first interdepartmental group whose responsibility it is to ensure and oversee the commencement of the Children First Act in 2017. Many of them had been around that table before with regard to the development and implementation of the Children First guidelines. They are familiar with it from an interdepartmental perspective in terms of the responsibilities they have and the ways in which they move those through their own Departments and out to the various agencies and organisations that are responsible to them and that provide the protection of children. The work is going on and I am satisfied it is the case that we are on a pathway to ensuring all mandated persons are trained and know their responsibility in order to report to Tusla.
Given the information in the public arena to date, the number of incidents that have occurred over recent years, some over a long period, and the information that is available now, is the Minister satisfied there will not be a recurrence of some of the issues we have regretted over recent years? Is she satisfied that children will be adequately protected at the first sign or hint of a risk and will be put in a safe place and out of the reach of perpetrators in those kinds of circumstances?
It is my greatest hope and ambition. Am I satisfied it absolutely will not happen? It would be dishonest to say "yes". I am satisfied that under my responsibility, the people I work with are pulling together, in particular in the interdepartmental group, and they are all working earnestly together to ensure they understand all the people they are responsible for, the guidelines and the task ahead of them.
