Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is vital to emphasise that the Health Information and Quality Authority has never found, in all of the inspections that it has conducted, an instance where child protection services, when required, were not immediately available. Tusla has reiterated its position that all child protection concerns it receives are screened and assessed in line with Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children and that all such concerns are treated in the same way, regardless of any other challenges a child may or may not face. Tusla has confirmed to me that no child is excluded from accessing child protection services, regardless of his or her situation.

Each child presenting to our State services comes with a range of different needs and support requirements. Children in the care of Tusla regularly receive disability services from the HSE, where appropriate. Where a child requires additional supports, for example, for a disability, the best possible care and service is sourced for him or her.

The commentary by the HSE, to which Deputy Ó Laoghaire referred, relates to observations on the joint working protocol between the HSE and Tusla. This document, of which disability forms just a part, was agreed upon the establishment of Tusla in January 2014. The comments in question relate to 2014 and matters have moved on since then.

Since 2015, Tusla has been actively seeking to establish a new, detailed, disability protocol with the HSE governing children in care and aftercare, and access to disability services. This protocol would also specify how Tusla might be of assistance to HSE cases in relation to supports under Tusla's remit. I am pleased that, in recent days, Tusla and the HSE have agreed a new protocol in principle which will operate to ensure good collaboration between Tusla and the HSE on disability related services for children.

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