Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 36: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of separated migrant children who have disappeared from Health Service Executive accommodation in each of the years 2007, 2008 and to date in 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45899/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The HSE has provided the following information on the number of separated children or unaccompanied minors seeking asylum who have gone missing from the care of the HSE since 2007. In 2007, 32 separated children went missing from the care of the HSE, in 2008 22 went missing, and up to October 2009 45 young people went missing from the care of the HSE.

It is a matter of great concern to the Government, the HSE and the Garda Síochána that a number of separated children go missing after they enter the State. Separated children going missing from care is not a phenomenon unique to Ireland. In many cases children go missing very soon after arriving in the country. The suspicion is that many of these children may have planned this with persons unknown prior to entering the country. This may be done with the objective of reuniting with their families, who have already arrived in the State, or with the intention of relocating to other European countries where their families are located.

The HSE has developed a strong working relationship with the Garda National Immigration Bureau with regard to missing children. A joint national protocol is in place between the HSE and Garda Síochána for all children who go missing from care. The protocol seeks to maximise inter-agency co-operation, to reduce the incidence of children going missing from care placements and to return missing children to safety as soon as possible.

The implementation plan for the 2009 report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse contains a commitment that separated children will be accommodated in mainstream care instead of hostels by December 2010. This move from hostel accommodation to residential and foster care should help to ensure that fewer children go missing. The HSE has begun the process of phasing out the hostel arrangements. Three hostels were closed recently, leaving four to be closed in 2010. The introduction of the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act 2008, together with the work been undertaken by the anti-human trafficking unit in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform should help to ensure that the numbers going missing are reduced significantly and that these young people are cared for in a safe and secure environment.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his reply. How many children have gone missing from foster care?

I questioned the Minister of State on this matter last February and he said the issue had attracted a high level of concentration from the Government and that while there has been a fall-off in the number of children disappearing in 2008, he was not going to become complacent about it. If that is the case, how did we lose five children every single month for the first nine months of this year? Is it not the case that we have lost twice as many children in the first nine months of this year as the whole of last year?

In February, the Minister of State told us that 24-hour care was being provided to these children. I draw attention to the report of the Ombudsman for Children, which pointed out that security guards provide care after 6 p.m. The Ombudsman for Children stated that one of the children she dealt with in the report disappeared and did not make it onto the missing children website. If that is the case, how is the Garda protocol operating when the child working directly with the Ombudsman for Children has evaporated?

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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It is an issue of serious concern that the figure has increased in 2009 after a very low figure in 2008. For this reason we have included it in our implementation plan arising from the Ryan report. In order to prevent this from happening we need to bring children seeking asylum into a position of equality with children in residential or foster care so that they are provided with the same services and the accommodation is properly registered and inspected. This has not been the case until now. Next year we hope to phase out the four hostels that remain providing services to children. Through that level of equality, we can ensure that children coming to the attention of State agencies are dealt with at the earliest stages. Children go missing very soon after coming to the attention of State agencies. If they are in inappropriate accommodation one can be sure that inappropriate service will be provided.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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In February the Minister of State clapped himself on the back because the number had reduced last year. He took credit in the House for that fact that only 22 children had gone missing. Two in five children placed in care this year have disappeared from accommodation. Will the Minister of State take responsibility for that?

Only two of the three residential centre inspection reports were made available to me. Will the third report be made available? The Minister of State referred to proper accommodation being made available. Does the Minister of State consider it acceptable that the HSE has a proposal to put new accommodation alongside existing asylum centres? These have been seen as a focal point for traffickers. Is it acceptable to locate them so close to asylum centres when this will make it easier for traffickers to access them?

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I completely reject the assertion that I clapped myself on the back earlier this year.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Does the Minister of State want me to cite the quotation?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Minister of State should be allowed to reply.

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I was only a Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children for half of the previous year. I fail to see how I could be credited with positive development that occurred in the previous year. The more serious issue raised by Deputy Naughten is the location of appropriate accommodation for children separated or seeking asylum. The anti-human trafficking unit in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform has a working group dealing with human trafficking, with representatives from the Garda Síochána, the HSE and NGOs. I have committed to ensuring that the closing of hostels is accompanied by a forum representing the HSE, the Garda Síochána and the NGOs. This process can draw on the knowledge of stakeholders and the experience of anyone who has something positive to contribute so the transition from inadequate accommodation to the fulfilment of the commitment to close hostels by the end of 2010 is done with the best interests of children at heart.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Will the third report be made available?

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I will provide the report to Deputy Naughten.