Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)

There is huge public shock and anger regarding the reported sexual assault of a ten-year-old girl on the grounds of the Citywest international protection accommodation services, IPAS, centre here in Dublin. A man in his 20s has been charged in connection with the assault. An Garda Síochána is to be commended for its work in making this arrest. Of course, our first concern is for the welfare of this young child. Tusla has confirmed that the child was in its care. This vulnerable ten-year-old girl went missing from Tusla's care while on a supervised trip to Dublin city centre. She was then reported missing to An Garda Síochána. She remained missing overnight, and she was then reportedly sexually assaulted.

How could a ten-year-old in the care of Tusla go missing on a supervised trip? There is a disturbing pattern of children in the care of the State and of this agency being failed catastrophically. We think of six-year-old Kyran Durnin, missing and presumed dead, three-year-old Daniel Aruebose, whose skeletal remains were found in Donabate last month, and, of course, 17-year-old Vadym Davydenko, who was stabbed to death at a Tusla care facility in north Dublin only last week. It really begs the question: what on earth is going on with Tusla? Why is this happening again and again? How is it that in our small country so many children can go missing?

Our thoughts today are with this ten-year-old girl, who has been so failed and violated, and with her family. Our thoughts are with all of the children that I have mentioned and with their families, who have experienced imaginable loss hurt and trauma.

It is also reported that the man now charged with this assault was subject to a deportation order issued in March of this year. How is it that a person issued with a deportation order remains in the country six months later? People are now asking how this was allowed to happen, why the order was not enforced and whether the authorities knew that he was still in the State. This violent incident deeply unnerves the entire community, in particular the local community in Saggart and the surrounding areas whose pleas for additional resources, including Garda resources, have been ignored. They now feel very betrayed and very badly let down.

Tá imní ollmhór ann i measc an phobail tar éis ionsaí gnéasach líomhnaithe ar chailín deich mbliana d'aois ag ionad IPAS i Citywest. Tá ceisteanna tromchúiseacha le freagairt anois ag Tusla agus ag an Rialtas. The safety and protection of our children must be the first and highest concern for all of us in this House. Children in the care of the State are the most vulnerable of all and yet they have been failed far too often with nobody held to account. This demands an immediate and strong response from Government. It is important the Taoiseach provides as much information as he can today without, of course, compromising the legal process. What action will be taken to hold Tusla to account for this ten-year-old child going missing from its care? Can he explain to people how the alleged perpetrator is still here six months after being issued with a deportation order?

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