Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. The UCD sexual exploitation research programme, SERP, report raises matters of the most profound concern. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and Tusla are aware of risks to children in care. Tusla is continually working to address these complex and concerning issues, including working with An Garda Síochána as required. There is no doubt that children in the care of the State are the most vulnerable individuals in our society. Tusla and the Department are committed to promoting safe and high-quality practice in all areas of alternative care.

This report raises concerning issues, as the Deputy said, regarding the potential exploitation of children, including those in the care of the State. Some contributors to the research reportedly felt that young girls in residential care were being targeted by predatory and organised groups. That is particularly concerning. The report does not purport to be representative of the experience of all children or professionals working with children. Nonetheless, it sheds an important light on these important matters.

As the Deputy fairly said, the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, has engaged with the authors of the report. His officials have engaged with Tusla to ensure that any child protection concerns outlined in the report are being actively followed up, including in respect of any necessary reports to An Garda Síochána. Prior to the publication of the UCD report, the Department of children and Tusla established a working group looking at institutional and organisational abuse. The Department has since requested that this group examine the report, provide a response and make recommendations as required. I have been informed that once this working group provides a response to the SERP report, it is the intention of the Minister to then pursue what further steps may be deemed necessary. On 27 July, the Minister met a delegation from the UCD SERP, including one of the authors of the report, in order to discuss the research in more detail. He outlined to them the next steps he is taking. The authors of the report were urged to report to Tusla any child protection issues that were mentioned in the report, where a child may be at risk.

On 31 July, the Minister wrote to the joint committee on children in order to provide his observations on the report and outline a number of significant initiatives that Tusla and the Department of children have undertaken in recent years to mitigate the risks to children of sexual exploitation while they are in the care of the State. On Wednesday, 20 September, the Minister engaged directly with the joint committee on children on wide-ranging matters relating to Tusla's provision of alternative care services. A range of key actions have been undertaken by the Department in respect of child sexual exploitation. On 10 July, the Department wrote to Tusla and requested from the agency a response to the UCD report to outline the extent to which the issues raised are being addressed and to identify any gaps relating to child sexual exploitation. The Department again requested that the institution abuse group consider the report, provide a response and make recommendations. The Department also requested Tusla to liaise with An Garda Síochána regarding the issues raised and the findings of the report. The Department is leading an interdepartmental group on the national implementation of Barnahus, which is a multi-agency approach to the provision of forensic medical intervention and therapeutic services to children subject to child sexual abuse.

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