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

If there is a child protection concern, Tusla will investigate. The immediate safety of the child is the social work department's first consideration. A social work assessment is child centred and considers individual and family needs and takes into account the child's development needs, parenting capacity, family and environmental factors. I will certainly raise the issue of the collection of data which the Deputy requests I raise with Tusla. I will come back to her directly on that when I have had discussions with the agency.

In terms of the commitment to children in the context of emergency accommodation and homelessness, the plan Rebuilding Ireland commits to the identification of young people leaving State care who are at risk of homelessness and to catering for them through appropriate housing and other needs supports. The provision of accommodation for young people leaving State care is now eligible for funding under the capital assistance scheme operated by the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. That Department and mine are working in conjunction with voluntary bodies to begin to plan for the ways in which we can develop additional housing for those young people who are leaving State care.

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