Parliamentary questions

475. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether risks associated with delayed permanency outcomes, care drift, or prolonged temporary care arrangements are included within Tusla corporate risk registers, governance escalation frameworks, or internal oversight structures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36035/26]

476. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether HIQA conducts inspections, thematic reviews, audits, or performance analysis specifically relating to permanency delays, placement drift, or prolonged temporary care arrangements for children in State care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36036/26]

477. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla currently maintains the technical capability within its information systems to distinguish between re-referrals, formally reopened social work cases, repeat safeguarding episodes, and repeat entries into State care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36037/26]

478. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the absence of a distinct national dataset relating to formally reopened social work cases has been identified internally by her Department or Tusla as a governance, safeguarding, or performance-monitoring limitation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36038/26]

479. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any proposal, policy development, or internal review is underway to introduce national key performance indicators relating to reopened social work cases, placement stability, repeat care entry, or time-to-permanency outcomes for children in State care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36039/26]

480. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any internal analysis, briefing material, policy papers, or governance reviews prepared in connection with the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2025 identified concerns relating to permanency delays, care drift, prolonged interim care orders, or extended voluntary care arrangements; and if she will make a statement…

481. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the absence of a national dataset tracking formally reopened child protection cases has ever been discussed within the governance, oversight, audit, or risk-management engagements held between her Department and Tusla. [36072/26]

482. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla’s Audit and Risk Committee has considered risks associated with the absence of nationally standardised data on reopened child protection cases. [36073/26]

483. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any key performance indicators, governance metrics, or safeguarding indicators monitored under the Tusla Oversight Agreement relate to repeat child protection interventions, repeat emergency removals, or reopened social work cases. [36074/26]

484. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has sought legal or policy advice regarding whether reopened child protection cases should form part of a national safeguarding and outcomes dataset. [36075/26]

485. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department receives aggregate reporting on the outcomes following Section 12 removals, including rates of return home, repeat removals, interim care orders, or progression to full care orders. [36076/26]

486. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any formal risk assessment has been conducted regarding the absence of a single national statutory child death review mechanism; and if so, to provide details of the findings. [36114/26]

487. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any Department, agency, or external body has advised Government that the current fragmented approach to child death reviews presents a governance or safeguarding risk; and if so, to provide details. [36115/26]

488. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of child deaths involving children known to Tusla were reviewed by the National Review Panel in each year since its establishment. [36116/26]

489. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any recommendations made by the National Review Panel since its establishment remain outstanding or unimplemented; and if so, to provide details. [36118/26]

490. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any external or independent review has assessed the effectiveness of the National Review Panel operational guidance last updated in 2021. [36119/26]

491. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the proposed statutory powers for the National Review Panel under the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2025 will include powers to compel documentation from non-State entities or private providers engaged by Tusla. [36120/26]

492. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any consultation has taken place with coronial services, An Garda Síochána, the HSE, HIQA, or the Ombudsman for Children regarding the design of a future national child death review mechanism. [36121/26]

493. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any estimated costings or staffing models have been prepared for the establishment of a national statutory child death review mechanism; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36122/26]

494. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the Government intends that a future national child death review mechanism will publish anonymised national thematic reports and recommendations arising from reviews. [36123/26]

495. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality of the 293 international protection applicants that were 'deemed ineligible' for Tusla's services between 2022 and 2025, the number that were later determined to be 'eligible' following a subsequent assessment; the mean or median time that this cohort spent awaiting a second assessment; where they were accommodated wh…

496. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has calculated the cumulative estimated inflation-adjusted funding shortfall affecting Section 38 and Section 39 disability providers since 2008; and if she will provide the methodology and figures used. [36366/26]

497. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any section 38 or 39 disability provider has notified the HSE or her Department of financial sustainability concerns, deficits or service-delivery risks since 2020; and if she will provide the number of such notifications by year. [36367/26]

498. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the HSE or her Department maintains a formal financial risk-rating system for section 38 and 39 disability providers; and, if so, to provide details. [36368/26]

499. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any national framework exists to assess consistency in the application of emergency child removal powers under sections 12 and 13 of the Child Care Act 1991 across Tusla regions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36369/26]