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

I do not believe I have, but I can clarify that point for the Deputy and revert to him.

The Deputy stated that I did not listen or engage. When he raised a question about this matter during my previous oral questions, I was prepared for it because of its importance, but the Deputy was not present. It is important that I put that point on the record.

As to what we are doing about this issue, I had extensive engagement with Tusla, An Garda Síochána, the special rapporteur on child protection and the Ombudsman for Children over last summer. That engagement was focused on the use of special emergency arrangements and, in particular, the situation of children in care and what the Garda was doing when children went missing from care. The Garda is reviewing Operation Cosnaím with a focus on how it traces people who go missing from care and will make proposals soon.

I am acutely aware of the pressures that the overreliance on SEAs creates. We are looking to give Tusla resources so that it does not have to rely on them so much, but while we are relying on them, we will try to put in place protective measures for the children in them.

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