932. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether there is a requirement for periodic formal review at national level of cases where a child has been in State care for more than five years; and if so, the governance arrangements underpinning such reviews. [34164/26]
Parliamentary questions
Questions
TDs ask ministers questions to get answers on the record, most of them in writing. Here is every one asked in the 34th Dáil, by the department it went to and the subject heading it was filed under. How questions work
Browse the questions
Showing questions asked by Ken O'Flynn under the heading Children in Care.
136 questions match, newest first.
935. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the staff-to-child ratio and average length of stay in private versus statutory residential centres operated or funded by Tusla; the number of children that are currently on a waiting list for a residential care placement; the average waiting time; the procurement or tendering process governs the awarding of contracts to private resident…
936. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether individual residential childcare placements procured from the approved panel are subject to a secondary competitive process between providers; and if not, the basis on which a provider is selected in each case [34218/26]
937. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to set out the allocation mechanism used by Tusla when assigning residential childcare placements from the approved panel, including whether a ranking system, rotation system, or mini-competition process is applied. [34219/26]
938. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether standardised national pricing frameworks, cost ceilings, or maximum weekly rates apply to private residential childcare placements procured through the panel; and if so, to provide details [34220/26]
939. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the weighting applied to price, quality, and other criteria in the original tender process used to establish the residential childcare provider panel. [34221/26]
940. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether emergency or out-of-hours residential childcare placements are exempt from standard procurement procedures; and if so, the safeguards in place to control cost and ensure value for money in such cases. [34222/26]
941. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of providers currently on the residential childcare procurement panel; the date on which the panel was established; its duration; and whether additional providers may be admitted during its lifetime. [34223/26]
942. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any value-for-money, procurement compliance, or audit review has been conducted in respect of private residential childcare placements since 2020; and if so, to provide details and findings. [34224/26]
790. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total annual expenditure on private residential childcare placements for each of the past five years; the average cost per placement; and the comparative average cost of a public residential placement. [32700/26]
791. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether a specific numerical or percentage reduction target has been set to reduce reliance on private residential childcare placements; the baseline from which this reduction will be measured; and the timeline for achieving such reduction [32701/26]
792. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the projected number of additional public residential placements required to eliminate or substantially reduce reliance on private placements; and whether this projection forms part of Tusla's current capacity planning. [32702/26]
793. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any formal transition strategy exists to move children from private residential placements into public provision; and if so, to outline the criteria, timelines and governance oversight mechanisms involved. [32703/26]
794. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any risk assessment has been carried out regarding continued reliance on private residential childcare placements, including risks relating to cost escalation, availability, and quality assurance; and if she will provide details. [32704/26]
315. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average annual cost per child associated with private residential placements, private foster care placements, and special emergency arrangements, for each year from 2022 to 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27505/26]
323. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether there is a defined national policy framework governing the reliance on private providers for residential childcare placements, including any targets, limits, or strategic objectives in relation to public versus private provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27513/26]
537. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has issued any written guidance, circulars, or policy directions to Tusla concerning the maximum duration a child may remain in voluntary care under section 4 of the Child Care Act 1991; whether any statutory or administrative time thresholds apply requiring escalation or court review after a defined period in volu…
538. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any mandatory senior management review, independent permanency review, or Department-level reporting requirement is automatically triggered once a child exceeds a defined duration in State care, including two years or more; if so, the details of the relevant policy framework; and if not, whether she will introduce such a requirem…
539. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality what proportion of children currently in long-term foster care are subject to adoption orders, enhanced guardianship, special guardianship, or other permanent legal arrangements; whether her Department requires formal consideration of adoption or guardianship once a child exceeds a defined duration in care; and if she will make a stateme…
540. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department compiles or publishes data on the average and median duration of time spent in State care before permanency is secured; whether such data is reported to her on a periodic basis; and if she will outline the governance and oversight mechanisms through which time-to-permanency outcomes are monitored at Departmental le…
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. [11417/2…
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]