Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú) | Oireachtas source

There have been 221 reported cases of sexual abuse of children in State care in the past ten years. That is a very dark figure. The other information I have received shows that, at the moment, there are 37 children missing from Tusla care, which is disastrous. Since 2021, Tusla has made referrals to the Garda of 161 children who are suspected of being victims of child sexual exploitation, 115 of which children were in care and 46 of whom were known to Tusla. Since 2014, 235 children have died who were either in State care or were known to State care. Ten of these children were murdered and 51 of them died because of suicide or drug overdoses. Again, these are shocking figures.

The reliance of Tusla on special emergency accommodation is incredible and we know that companies, to which Tusla has paid millions of euro, have actually falsified documents relating to verification. At present, is the Minister sure that 100% of people working in special emergency accommodation are Garda vetted?

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