Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 57 together.

I thank the Deputy for raising the question. Children in the care of the State are some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, and my Department are committed to promoting safe and high-quality practice in all areas of alternative care.

Tusla has a statutory obligation to notify An Garda Síochána of all incidents of suspected child sexual exploitation, including those relating to children in the care of the State. An Garda Síochána leads the investigation into these notifications. Consequently, Tusla liaises closely with the Garda and also has an assigned principal social worker based with the Garda National Protective Services Bureau, GNPSB. On a more local level, each Tusla area implements its own local area management meetings with local Garda divisional child protection units to review progress on Garda notifications.

The issues raised in the recently published University College Dublin, UCD, scoping report with regard to the potential sexual exploitation of children are concerning. My Department and Tusla continue to progress a number of key developments in response to this area. First, in 2021, Tusla implemented its child exploitation procedure in partnership with An Garda Síochána. This provides Tusla staff and carers with information on how to recognise indicators of child sexual exploitation, how to make appropriate referrals and how to respond to cases where children may be at risk of sexual exploitation. All staff in these residential centres have undergone Children First training, which provides guidance for the protection and welfare of children. This training assists staff to assess the children in their care and to act in appropriately if matters of concern arise. The joint working protocol between Tusla and An Garda Síochána forms a critical part of the response to child abuse and neglect, and particularly with regard to child sexual exploitation. There are regular meetings by Tusla local area and also Tusla’s national children’s residential service with An Garda Síochána in respect of child sexual exploitation referrals.

Second, Tusla has established an anti-trafficking working group in preparation for the Department of Justice's national action plan for human trafficking, which includes the area of child sexual exploitation. Third, my Department also recently established jointly with Tusla a working group looking at institutional and organisational abuse. This work is ongoing, including reviewing criteria for the definition of such abuse and reviewing further supports and guidance for staff around any potential indicators of child sexual exploitation of children in State care.

Importantly, Tusla has had a principal social worker seconded to the Garda National Protective Service Bureau. Their role is to provide social work specialist support to the Garda National Protective Services Bureau, including child protection related knowledge and expertise. The role includes supporting the bureau around notifications received relating to children in care and also in the community, including around issues of notifications of child sexual exploitation.

My Department is also leading an interdepartmental group on the national implementation of Barnahus, which is a multi-agency approach to the provision of intervention and services to children subject to child sexual abuse. A pilot has been in operation in Barnahus West in County Galway for the past number of years, which the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and I visited, with additional centres planned to be established in the east and south of the country.

Finally, where there may be child welfare concerns, the onus falls on all of us to report concerns that a child may have been, is being or is at risk of being abused or neglected. Tusla has developed a comprehensive referral system through which organisations, the public and mandated people can share their concerns for a child potentially at risk of neglect or abuse. My Department will work closely with Tusla in terms of responding to the issues raised in the UCD scoping review. The Deputy has written to me directly on this issue in terms of her role as Chair of the Committee on Children, Disability, Equality and Integration. We will, of course, respond to update her on the various elements in that regard.

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