Topics / Child Protection

A subject heading for parliamentary questions

Child Protection

217 questions from 38 TDs, between 5 February 2025 and 16 September 2026.

217
questions
212 written, 5 oral
38
TDs have asked
9
parties and groups
Independents counted together
10
departments asked

Questions per month

The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.

Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
MonthQuestions
January 20250
February 20254
March 20252
April 20255
May 20254
June 20250
July 20256
August 20250
September 202523
October 20258
November 202529
December 202529
January 20261
February 202633
March 20267
April 20260
May 202641
June 20269
July 202612
August 20260
September 20264
October 20260

Who asks, by party

The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.

  • Aontú14 from 1 TD · 2 seats today
  • Fianna Fáil14 from 8 TDs · 48 seats today
  • Fine Gael18 from 4 TDs · 38 seats today
  • Independent12 from 5 TDs · 15 seats today
  • Independent Ireland118 from 2 TDs · 4 seats today
  • Labour Party2 from 2 TDs · 11 seats today
  • People Before Profit-Solidarity13 from 3 TDs · 3 seats today
  • Sinn Féin16 from 7 TDs · 39 seats today

The TDs who asked most

Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.

  1. 117
  2. 14
  3. 10
  4. 8
  5. 7
  6. 6
  7. 6
  8. 4

Asked of

Debated under the same heading

Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.

The questions

Ken O'Flynn Written 26 Feb 2026 · to Children
460. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any national policy guidance approved, noted or overseen by her Department requires Tusla to apply disability-informed assessment protocols, reasonable accommodation standards, or specialist procedural safeguards when child protection proceedings involve a parent with a diagnosed autism spectrum condition or intellectual disabili…
Paul Nicholas Gogarty Written 24 Feb 2026 · to Children
843. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will support the establishment of an independent Child Death Review mechanism; if she accepts that the absence of such a mechanism has contributed to the difficulties now faced by a person (details supplied). [14520/26]
Ken O'Flynn Written 24 Feb 2026 · to Children
845. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department formally reviewed the 2023 University College Dublin report on sexual exploitation risks for children in residential and emergency care; the status of its recommendations (including how many were accepted, implemented or remain outstanding); the policy or regulatory changes which have been made in response; whether…
Ken O'Flynn Written 24 Feb 2026 · to Children
888. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has prepared a formal implementation plan, action tracker, or recommendation matrix in response to the 2023 University College Dublin report entitled “Protecting Against Predators: A Scoping Study on the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Young People in Ireland”; if so, the date on which it was approved; whether …
Ken O'Flynn Written 24 Feb 2026 · to Children
889. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to provide a numbered breakdown of each recommendation contained in the 2023 University College Dublin report on sexual exploitation risks in residential and emergency care; to state, in respect of each recommendation, whether it has been accepted in full, accepted in principle, rejected, or remains under consideration; the implementatio…
Ken O'Flynn Written 24 Feb 2026 · to Children
890. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether a formal cross-departmental or inter-agency oversight group was established to coordinate the State response to the 2023 University College Dublin report; if so, the date of establishment, its chairing authority, the Departments and agencies represented, the number of meetings held to date, and whether minutes or progress reports…
Ken O'Flynn Written 24 Feb 2026 · to Children
891. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether compliance with any policy or procedural changes arising from the 2023 University College Dublin report is subject to formal monitoring or audit; whether such monitoring forms part of a centrally approved governance framework within her Department; and to outline the performance indicators or reporting mechanisms used to assess i…
Ken O'Flynn Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Justice
431. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has held any formal meetings since 1 January 2025 with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality regarding safeguarding-disclosure or re-vetting arrangements in the early years sector. [13462/26]
Ken O'Flynn Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
517. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department receives, on an annual or periodic basis, aggregated statistical reports from Tusla on the number of emergency child removal applications made under Section 13 of the Child Care Act 1991; whether such reports include age breakdowns, including children under one year of age; and if she will make a statement on the m…
Ken O'Flynn Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
518. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she requires Tusla, under any governance framework agreed with her Department, to report on the outcomes of emergency child removal proceedings, including rates of reunification, care orders, guardianship or adoption; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13614/26]
Ken O'Flynn Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
519. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department requires Tusla to conduct internal audit, quality assurance review, or evidential compliance review of emergency child removal applications; whether summary findings of such reviews are reported to her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13615/26]
Ken O'Flynn Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
520. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has sought or received any data from Tusla in the past five years regarding emergency child removal applications in which material allegations were subsequently amended, withdrawn, or corrected during proceedings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13616/26]
Ken O'Flynn Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
521. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether any national policy guidance, approved or noted by her Department, requires Tusla to apply additional procedural safeguards, specialist assessment protocols, or disability-informed practice standards when child protection proceedings involve a parent with a diagnosed autism spectrum condition or intellectual disability; and if sh…
Ken O'Flynn Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
522. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she has issued, or is considering issuing, any general policy direction to Tusla under the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 in relation to evidential standards, proportionality thresholds, or quality assurance mechanisms in emergency child removal cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13618/26]
Ken O'Flynn Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
523. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the Tusla Board is required to report to her Department on governance risks or systemic concerns arising from emergency child removal decisions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13619/26]
Claire Kerrane Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Children
524. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the figures for the number of children put in special emergency arrangements in each of the years 2020-2026 to date. [13624/26]
Ken O'Flynn Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Health
583. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department requires non-statutory bodies in receipt of direct funding to maintain a Department-approved safeguarding policy, a designated safeguarding officer, mandatory reporting procedures to the Department in the event of safeguarding concerns, compliance with Children First Act 2015 obligations, where applicable, and periodic certification of safeg…
Ken O'Flynn Written 19 Feb 2026 · to Health
584. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department maintains a central risk register in respect of non-statutory bodies receiving direct Departmental funding, conducts formal risk assessments prior to the allocation of funding, applies a risk-rating classification to such bodies, requires annual risk statements from funded bodies; and has defined escalation procedures where governance or saf…
Ruth Coppinger Written 17 Feb 2026 · to Children
991. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to consider the creation of a mandatory rechecking system for Garda vetting for those people employed in the childcare sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12756/26]
Barry Ward Written 17 Feb 2026 · to Children
999. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding the review that was ordered in the wake of a case (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11682/26]
Barry Ward Written 17 Feb 2026 · to Children
1000. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding any engagement that she has had with Tusla in the months following a case (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11683/26]
Barry Ward Written 17 Feb 2026 · to Children
1001. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding the structural changes carried out within Tusla in the months following a case (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11684/26]
Barry Ward Written 17 Feb 2026 · to Children
1002. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the actions she has taken in the months following a case (details supplied) to ensure that the failings identified in the childcare system are addressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11685/26]
Barry Ward Written 17 Feb 2026 · to Children
1003. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding the meetings that she has held with Tusla specifically in relation to a case (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11686/26]
Richard Boyd Barrett Written 5 Feb 2026 · to Justice
298. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his plans to introduce legislation to ensure that access orders for children will not be granted against the will and preference of the children where the parent in question has been found guilty of coercive control or similar offences (details supplied). [9165/26]