Ken O'Flynn

515. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department conducted a formal review of the 2023 University College Dublin report on sexual exploitation risks faced by children in residential and emergency care; the date on which any such review commenced and concluded; the unit or division within her Department responsible; whether the review was documented; and if she will publish the findings. [11382/26]

516. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of recommendations contained in the 2023 University College Dublin report on sexual exploitation risks faced by children in residential and emergency care; the number accepted by her Department; the number implemented to date; the number outstanding; and the reasons any recommendations remain unimplemented. [11383/26]

517. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the policy, regulatory, or national guidance changes that have been introduced by her Department since 2023 in response to the University College Dublin report on sexual exploitation risks faced by children in residential and emergency care; the date each change took effect; and the way in which compliance is monitored. [11384/26]

518. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department sets national policy in relation to the prevention of children absconding from residential care and special emergency arrangements; whether sexual exploitation risk is a mandatory policy consideration within that framework; and when the policy was last reviewed. [11385/26]

519. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she or her officials have received briefings, reports, or submissions since 2021 concerning links between absconding from care and sexual exploitation risk; the number of such briefings; and the actions taken following receipt. [11386/26]

520. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she accepts that the absence of any national metric or reporting requirement for the escalation of high-priority unallocated child protection cases limits effective ministerial oversight; whether her Department has assessed the governance or child-protection risks arising from the fact that such escalations are not recorded or reported at national level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11410/26]

521. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the assurance mechanisms that are in place within her Department to confirm that risk-escalation procedures for high-priority unallocated child protection cases result in timely allocation; whether any internal or external audit, review, or evaluation has been conducted of escalation outcomes in 2023 or 2024; and if not, the reason no such assessment has taken place. [11411/26]

522. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she receives regular reports, briefings, or summary data on the number or duration of high-priority child protection cases that remain unallocated following escalation; the form in which any such information is provided; and if no such reporting occurs, the way in which ministerial assurance is maintained in respect of these cases. [11412/26]

523. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she is satisfied that existing national policy arrangements governing the escalation of high-priority unallocated child protection cases provide sufficient transparency, consistency, and accountability across Tusla regions; whether her Department has reviewed the adequacy of these arrangements; and if she will outline any reforms under consideration. [11413/26]

524. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has issued any guidance, circulars, or policy instructions to Tusla concerning the monitoring or reporting of escalation activity for high-priority child protection cases; whether compliance with such guidance is reviewed at Departmental level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11414/26]

525. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department tracks outcomes for young people who exit State care at 18 after having spent more than 10 years continuously in care; what data is held on housing stability, education attainment, employment status, and engagement with aftercare services for this cohort; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11415/26]

526. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any internal or external review has been undertaken to assess outcomes for young people who spent the majority of their childhood in State care and subsequently aged out at 18 years-of-age; the findings of any such review; and if no review has taken place, the reason this has not been conducted. [11416/26]

527. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she accepts that the absence of longitudinal data linking length of time in State care with post-18 outcomes limits effective evaluation of the State’s care and aftercare systems; whether her Department has identified this as a governance or accountability gap; and if she will outline any steps being taken to address it. [11417/26]

528. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which the effectiveness of aftercare policy is evaluated for young people who have spent long periods in State care prior to turning 18; the assurance mechanisms which exist at Departmental level to assess whether aftercare supports are sufficient for this cohort; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11418/26]

529. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department uses data on length of time spent in State care, including children who have been in care for more than 10 or 15 years, to inform aftercare planning and resource allocation; and if not, the reason such data is not used for this purpose. [11419/26]

530. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has examined the absence of a statutory mechanism allowing early years providers to lawfully disclose and assess serious safeguarding concerns relating to staff conduct which does not meet the criminal threshold; whether she accepts that this represents a gap in the current safeguarding framework; and if she will outline any proposals to address this issue. [11460/26]

531. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has considered how a statutory safeguarding-disclosure framework for the early years sector could be designed to protect children while also ensuring fair procedures, independent assessment, appeal rights, and proportionality for staff;; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11462/26]

532. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she is satisfied that the current statutory and policy framework governing safeguarding in Early Years services fully gives effect to the principles of Children First, particularly in circumstances where serious concerns arise outside the criminal justice threshold; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11465/26]

554. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the dates since 1 January 2024 her Department formally reviewed governance or patient-safety risk indicators relating to Children's Health Ireland; the division of her Department which conducted each review; whether a written briefing note, minute, or record was produced in each case; and where those records are held. [11249/26]

555. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has assessed, since 2023, the timelines and completeness of responses provided by Children's Health Ireland to requests for information from Members of the Oireachtas; whether any compliance issues were identified; and the actions, if any, which were taken by her Department as a result. [11250/26]

556. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department maintains a central register or inventory of reviews, audits, investigations, or independent reports relating to Children's Health Ireland; when that register was last updated; and whether she will publish a schedule listing the titles, commissioning bodies, and dates of such reports. [11251/26]

557. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether decisions on the publication or non-publication of reports relating to Children's Health Ireland are recorded in written form within her Department; which office or grade is responsible for those decisions; and whether any standard criteria are applied when determining publication. [11252/26]

558. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the number of written briefings relating to governance, patient safety, or organisational risk in Children's Health Ireland which were submitted to her Department in each of the years 2023, 2024 and 2025; and whether she will provide a breakdown by subject matter. [11253/26]

579. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether emergency ambulance responses to clinical status 1 purple and red calls where the response time exceeds 60 minutes are classified by her Department or the HSE as patient safety incidents; if so, the number of such incidents recorded in each of the past three years; if not, the clinical and governance rationale for not treating such delays in life-threatening emergencies as patient safety incidents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11387/26]

580. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health when she was first informed that response times exceeding 60 minutes for clinical status 1 purple and red emergency calls are not included in published National Ambulance Service performance indicators; whether this issue was raised with her Department by the HSE or the National Ambulance Service; the date on which this occurred; and the actions she has taken since becoming aware of this omission in national oversight. [11388/26]