Questions

532. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the figure of four governance or safeguarding concerns received since 2020, as referenced in correspondence to the Deputy, relates solely to concerns formally recorded by Tusla’s Alternative Care Inspection and Monitoring Service in respect of registered children’s residential centres under Part VIII of the Child Care Act 1991; a…

533. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department is formally notified when Tusla records governance or safeguarding concerns relating to privately operated residential centres; if so, the mechanism and timeframe for such notification; and what policy review, contractual oversight, or funding control measures are triggered at Departmental level following receipt o…

534. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department maintains a centralised register or consolidated database of governance, safeguarding, compliance or regulatory concerns relating to private companies delivering care services funded in whole or in part by the State; if not, whether she will establish such a register in the interests of transparency, public account…

535. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total annual Exchequer funding paid to privately operated children’s residential centres in each year since 2020; and whether she has conducted or commissioned any risk assessment examining whether the scale of private provision presents governance, safeguarding, or systemic oversight risks [13748/26]

920. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of cases, in each of the past five years where Tusla initiated emergency child removal proceedings and where one or more material allegations were subsequently withdrawn, admitted being unfounded, or corrected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9372/26]

921. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the safeguards in place to ensure that emergency child protection applications made by Tusla are based solely on verified and contemporaneous evidence; whether her Department has assessed the impact of later-withdrawn or incorrect allegations on District Court decisions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9373/26]

922. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of cases, in each of the past five years, in which Tusla child protection proceedings involved a parent with a diagnosed autism spectrum condition or intellectual disability; whether additional safeguards or assessment protocols apply in such cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9374/26]

923. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to outline the mandatory training requirements for Tusla social workers in respect of autism, neurodiversity, and disability awareness; the frequency with which such training is refreshed; and whether compliance with these requirements is monitored by her Department. [9375/26]

924. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the disciplinary procedures that apply where a Tusla social worker provides inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading information to a court; the number of disciplinary actions taken in such circumstances in the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9376/26]

925. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the statutory and policy thresholds applied by Tusla when seeking emergency removal orders under the Child Care Act 1991; whether her Department has reviewed the proportionality and consistency of their use; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9377/26]

926. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the governance arrangements governing the reliance by Tusla on hospital-based child protection reports when initiating emergency proceedings; whether there is a requirement for independent verification prior to court applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9378/26]

927. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has undertaken any review of cases where emergency child removals were later found to be based on incorrect or withdrawn allegations; the redress mechanisms available to affected families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9379/26]

928. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department collects and publishes aggregate data on withdrawn allegations, failed emergency applications, or post-hoc corrections in Tusla child protection cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9381/26]

931. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department or Tusla conducts any independent review, audit, or quality-assurance process of emergency child removal decisions involving children under one year of age; whether such processes examine evidential accuracy, proportionality, and decision-making thresholds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9391/26]

841. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when procurement procedures were first implemented at the following Tusla-run facility (details supplied); and if he will provide details in this regard. [3799/26]

858. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a detailed account of all expenditure incurred by Tusla, in appointing a company (details supplied) as an independent body to examine and/or investigate protected disclosures in Cork in each of the years 2020, 2021 and 2022, including professional fees, associated legal costs, VAT and any other related expenses; and if she wil…

1911. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department monitors compliance with permanency planning timelines within Tusla at a national level; if so, the performance indicators used; and how breaches of those timelines are addressed as a matter of governance and accountability. [74390/25]

1918. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 464 of 27 November 2025, if the investigation referred to by the Regional Chief Officer in relation to the handling of cash, or vouchers between 2018 and 2024 was a criminal investigation involving An Garda Síochána, or an internal administrative investigation only; and if she will make a statement …

829. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a breakdown of Tusla's annual expenditure on private residential and special emergency arrangement providers for each of the past five years, disaggregated by provider type and by placement category; and to outline the governance framework applied by her Department to oversee this expenditure. [71826/25]

830. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children placed in private residential care and in special emergency arrangements in each of the past five years, and the corresponding number placed in Tusla-run residential units over the same period. [71827/25]

831. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average annual cost per placement for private residential care, for Tusla-run residential care, and for special emergency arrangements for each of the past five years, and the Department's assessment of value for money across these categories. [71828/25]

832. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the projected reductions in expenditure on private residential care set out in Tusla's Residential Care Plan, including annual targets, timelines, and the planned expansion of public residential capacity required to achieve reduced reliance on private providers. [71829/25]

464. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if a service (details supplied) has been the subject of any internal investigations concerning the handling of cash of vouchers between the years 2018 and 2024; and if any members of staff were removed from their positions as a result of such investigations. [66827/25]

265. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures in place to ensure consistency in priority decisions across all Tusla areas; and if she will provide the most recent compliance checks for each area. [66374/25]

271. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the steps her Department is taking to improve Tusla ICT and record-keeping systems, including plans for real-time data on allocation, priority level, and service access for children. [66380/25]