Questions

521. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason private supervised-access providers, including an organisation (details supplied), can continue to be used under court orders where a State agency has raised safeguarding concerns and ceased using the provider; the regulation and oversight that applies to such providers; whether courts are notified of safeguarding or vet…

684. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports, services and safeguarding measures that are currently available through the HSE for children who are considered at significant risk of wandering, absconding or becoming lost, including autistic children and those with intellectual disabilities; whether assistance is available for GPS tracking or other locating tec…

1051. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the statutory, regulatory and inspection frameworks governing privately operated or externally contracted residential care settings, including section 38 and section 39 commissioned placements; whether any regulatory, transparency or reporting exemptions apply to commercial providers compared with State-operated services; and the spe…

1053. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the statutory protections available to frontline social care professionals, advocates, and members of the public who raise child-safeguarding concerns in good faith involving public bodies or publicly funded services; whether her Department has identified any evidentiary or legal gaps in those protections where concerns relate to mul…

1054. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the details of whether any automated technical mechanism currently exists within Tusla's case management system to cross-reference children identified as exhibiting indicators of trafficking or exploitation with children reported missing from care; and if the Government intends to introduce such a statutory cross-referencing mechan…

1055. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the Government has undertaken, or intends to undertake, an independent joint audit of the operational handover and follow-up arrangements between An Garda Síochána and Tusla following emergency child removals under section 12 of the Child Care Act 1991; and the statutory framework that exists to ensure joint inspection and c…

1056. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether consideration has been given to establishing an independent, cross-agency statutory oversight mechanism for cases where responsibility for the safeguarding, care, or welfare of a child crosses organisational boundaries between Tusla, the HSE, and An Garda Síochána; the mechanism currently that exist to examine the actions a…

1057. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the formal statutory or administrative mechanism that exists to ensure that children with complex co-occurring needs including severe intellectual disabilities, neurodivergence, or acute mental health crises are not left without an appropriate support plan where responsibility involves both Tusla under its welfare mandate and the H…

206. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will engage with the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs Migration on the way in which child safeguarding can be strengthened given the details of a case (details supplied) brought forward by a childcare provider; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44388/26]

1646. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether interim safeguarding recommendations are issued before completion of National Review Panel reviews where urgent risks are identified. [43231/26]

989. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the cross-border safeguarding mechanisms that are activated when a child in State care is reported missing and believed to have travelled to another jurisdiction [39580/26]

992. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if an exit or pre-departure safeguarding check is conducted where a child indicates an intention to leave the State. [39583/26]

1078. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider a unit in between residential care and special care to support children and young people as previously existed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40238/26]

417. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the way in which her Department accounts for situations where individuals subject to safeguarding concerns avoid accountability and continue working with children, including moving between settings without those concerns being identified or acted upon; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31677/26]

1497. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality with reference to Operation Cosnaím, the number of formal notifications made by Tusla to the Garda National Protective Services Bureau regarding concerns of child trafficking and child sexual exploitation for children in State care in each of the past five years; and the number of these cases where a criminal investigation was subsequ…

228. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department maintains a consolidated Department-level governance and risk oversight framework in respect of privately operated children’s residential centres funded by the Exchequer; whether her Department receives structured, periodic reporting on safeguarding, compliance or regulatory concerns relating to such providers; and…

463. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department maintains a formal risk register entry relating to reliance on privately operated children’s residential centres; if so, the risk categorisation and mitigation measures identified; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15842/26]

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 re…

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 su…

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 case…

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…

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]

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 o…