Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 25 April 2023

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth

Possible Enhancement of Child Protection Powers of Tusla: Discussion

Photo of Patrick CostelloPatrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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I wish to look at three separate elements. I will start with compliance and inspection, followed by some of the lessons learned in this context and then I wish to talk about the handling of retrospective instances of abuse in general. There are some issues there that we have not gone into yet.

Mr. Corcoran mentioned paper compliance. This is important. Mention was made in the opening statement of not having powers to compel. How organisations can be compliant with the Act was also referred to. He took the words right out of my mouth when he said that if these are not living and breathing documents, then they are simply paper and next to useless. It is the same with policies and procedures. I wish to be clear when it comes to the early years inspectorate and the alternative care inspection and monitoring service. Are those services in a similar position in not having the power to compel and not being able to go in somewhere and ask to be shown not just the policy but how it is implemented? Does Tusla have sufficient powers in those two areas?