As the Deputy is aware, the provision of emergency accommodation to families experiencing homelessness is a matter for the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Housing Agencies and (in Dublin) the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive (DRHE).
My Department does not provide Children First Training for managers of emergency accommodation and is thus not in a position to answer the Deputy's question. The enactment of the Children First Act 2015 is predicated on the clear principle that child protection issues are the responsibility of all Departments in their respective sectors, and that they must be embedded in the policy considerations of all Departments. Training in relation to obligations under the Children First Act is thus not solely a matter for the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, but a matter for all Departments and agencies and indeed for any entity that has regular engagement with children.
Tusla has produced a range of resources to support the implementation of Children First. In particular a 90 minute e-learning module is universally available free of charge on its website. The module covers the recognising and reporting of child abuse, the role of mandated persons, and the safeguarding responsibilities of organisations working with children. The training module is available through the Tusla website www.tusla.ie.
