1609. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in State care currently placed outside their home county or outside their Tusla service area due to placement availability issues, broken down by age category and placement type; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42687/26]
Topics / Children in Care
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsChildren in Care
358 questions from 46 TDs, between 5 February 2025 and 17 September 2026.
358
questions
353 written, 5 oral
46
TDs have asked
10
parties and groups
Independents counted together
3
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
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 19 |
| March 2025 | 16 |
| April 2025 | 8 |
| May 2025 | 9 |
| June 2025 | 2 |
| July 2025 | 23 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 8 |
| October 2025 | 0 |
| November 2025 | 23 |
| December 2025 | 11 |
| January 2026 | 24 |
| February 2026 | 19 |
| March 2026 | 19 |
| April 2026 | 16 |
| May 2026 | 77 |
| June 2026 | 52 |
| July 2026 | 29 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 3 |
| October 2026 | 0 |
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.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
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136
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49
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20
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18
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18
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16
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12
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10
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
1610. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla has conducted any internal audit, review, analysis, or risk assessment regarding the impact of repeated placement instability on educational attendance, mental health outcomes, behavioural presentations, or long-term permanency outcomes for children in care; if so, to provide details and findings; and if she will make a st…
1611. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla's current case management and information systems are technically capable of generating national reports on placement instability and repeated placement changes for children in care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42689/26]
1612. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the Department or Tusla has established any national benchmark, target, performance indicator, or acceptable threshold relating to placement stability for children in State care; and if they will provide details. [42690/26]
1613. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average number of placement changes experienced by children in State care, broken down by duration in care categories of less than one year, one to three years, three to five years, and more than five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42691/26]
1614. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether repeated placement changes for children in State care are reported through any national governance, risk management, safeguarding, or quality assurance framework within Tusla; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42692/26]
1668. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if children in State care have direct access to an independent body outside Tusla, such as the Ombudsman for Children, to report abuse or safeguarding concerns; and how this access is actively facilitated. [43363/26]
1721. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently in State care for more than two years who have not achieved a permanency outcome, broken down by age, care arrangement, and Tusla area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44085/26]
1723. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average length of time between a child entering State care and a permanency decision being reached in each of the past five years; and if they will provide the figures in tabular form. [44088/26]
185. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the criteria under which a child is placed into special emergency arrangements; the extent foster parent’s concerns are considered when placing a child into special emergency arrangements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40667/26]
941. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children placed by Tusla with foster families through private-for-profit foster care agencies in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38717/26]
942. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total amount of public money paid by Tusla to private-for-profit foster care agencies that place children with foster families in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38718/26]
943. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the name of all private-for-profit companies and agencies used by Tusla to place children with foster families during each of the past five years; the number of children placed through each company; the amount paid to each company in each year concerned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38719/26]
944. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the percentage of all foster family placements arranged through private-for-profit foster care agencies in each of the past five years, as distinct from placements arranged directly through Tusla foster carers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38720/26]
945. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average annual cost to the State, per child, of placements arranged through private-for-profit foster care agencies that place children with foster families, compared with the average annual cost per child of placements arranged directly through Tusla foster carers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38721/26]
959. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if Tusla has considered establishing a national reporting framework for permanency pathways for children in care; and if so, the current status of this work. [39089/26]
960. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently in State care subject to interim care orders for more than six months, twelve months and twenty-four months, respectively. [39091/26]
961. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if Tusla maintains any internal KPI, benchmark or target timeframe regarding the achievement of permanency outcomes for children in care. [39092/26]
962. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department receives regular reporting on delays in permanency planning for children in State care. [39093/26]
964. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently in long-term foster care without an application for guardianship, adoption or reunification actively progressing. [39095/26]
965. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if Tusla records the reasons permanency pathways are delayed, including court delays, placement shortages, staffing shortages or assessment backlogs. [39096/26]
966. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently in State care for more than five years broken down by foster care, relative care, residential care, special emergency arrangements, and supported lodgings. [39107/26]
967. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in State care for more than five years who currently have an active permanency plan in place for reunification, guardianship, adoption, and long-term foster care. [39108/26]
969. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla maintains national data on delayed permanency decisions arising from court delays, foster care shortages, lack of therapeutic services, or staffing vacancies. [39110/26]
970. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in State care for more than five years who have experienced three or more placement changes, five or more placement changes, and emergency placement arrangements. [39111/26]