Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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7. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the supports Tusla has in place for children and parents living in emergency accommodation; if specific supports are needed given the extraordinarily difficult circumstances children in emergency accommodation face in trying to attend school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42687/15]

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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My question relates to children who are living in emergency accommodation and the need to acknowledge that it is difficult for them. What is Tusla, in particular, doing to support these children?

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I understand the Deputy is referring to situations where children and their families find themselves living in emergency accommodation. The primary need is for a family home and responsibility for this lies with local authorities and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. I appreciate, however, that the Deputy is referring to the emotional and practical impact on parents and children when living in emergency accommodation. A major stress for families is the uncertainty of not knowing when they will have suitable accommodation. Families also face difficulties in establishing the ordinary routines around meals, play and bedtimes that underpin normal development and a happy family life. I am keenly aware of the impact on children where their parent is suffering from stress, depression or other emotional problems associated with the traumatic impact of living in emergency accommodation. Homelessness can only have a negative impact on a child's personal growth, security and education.

An essential consideration for school-going children is, where possible, to source emergency accommodation that allows regular school attendance. Research has shown that attending at school can provide a haven of normality for children where there is significant change or crisis occurring in the family. The main role of Tusla is to provide family support, the same way as it does for families in the general community, by providing guidance and parenting supports through its locally based services. After school programmes, children's activities and homework clubs are a very practical way of supporting children. Where Tusla identifies underlying problems, for example, mental health issues, it can refer the family to the appropriate services. Tusla has regular meetings with Focus Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and Dublin City Council to identify vulnerable families in order to support them as best it can. Any concerns that reach the threshold requiring a child protection and welfare response will be dealt with through the child protection social work teams in Tusla.

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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We are storing up incredible problems for services in the future as a result of the impact of living in these situations on children. It goes against everything stated in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. We are supposed to put the best interests of the child first and do everything we can for the well-being of the child. I know about these children from the families I meet and calls made to my office. I also know about them from friends who teach these children. I want to mention two examples. One concerns a mother and child who are in emergency accommodation since last January. They still have no key worker. Fortunately, I was able to put them in touch with the Family Resource Centre, which is providing support, but its budgets have been cut. The other example concerns a single parent and her children who were in emergency accommodation in Portmarnock but were moved to Donabate. The children go to school in Baldoyle. That is the reality and the Minister knows it as well as I do. We know the difficulties this is causing. We know the effect on children's mental, physical and emotional well-being. We know it affects their attendance at school. If they are not at school, they are not learning. We are creating problems and children will leave school early as a result. Extra supports are needed for these children.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I am acutely aware that homelessness is very disruptive to normal family life and it is a major issue that this Government is intent on tackling. My colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, with the local authorities, is working hard to address this problem. We have a social policy Cabinet committee which meets regularly and this item is invariably on the agenda. I attend those meetings because I am concerned about children and the impact this has on them.

I agree fully with the Deputy. The example she describes is a classic example of the disruption caused. It is all very well to say accommodation is available. However, it is one thing for a child living in Portmarnock to make the journey to attend school in Baldoyle but to travel from Donabate is another thing entirely. I consider this issue to be a very serious one and central to it are the efforts to end the need to use emergency accommodation. I have always been a strong believer in prevention being better than cure. I assure the Deputy that I am acutely aware of the problems this is creating for families and the negative impact it is having on children. As are many of my Cabinet colleagues, I am working towards getting this problem sorted because we are, as Deputy O'Sullivan quite rightly states, storing up trouble for the future.

Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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We know that the children living in these situations are very much at risk of a lot of issues later in their lives. We know the importance of early intervention when it comes to the mental health and physical well-being of these children. The Minister mentioned priorities and the extra funding his Department has received in his answer to Deputy Kyne. Will the Minister look at these particular needs as an example of early intervention? There are really serious delays in providing key workers for those in emergency accommodation. This is fuelling inequality because these are children of parents who have lost their jobs and homes. The parents are dealing with so much in their own lives and are also trying to provide support for their children. I ask that they would be a priority in terms of access to key workers and social workers. The Minister spoke of 400 extra social workers. This is an area that needs prioritising.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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For clarity, it is not 400 extra social workers that will be provided but 400 additional staff, the bulk of whom will be social workers. One of the problems experienced is that social workers, because they did not have any administrative support, spent a lot of their time typing up reports that others could be typing while they are engaging with the families with whom they need and want to engage. Tusla continues to respond to family support needs, either directly or through commissioned services that can provide support to parents and children who find themselves in this difficult situation. Tusla is aware that children in emergency accommodation who are being moved are at risk and this is pertinent to its monitoring of the situation. I hear Deputy O'Sullivan loud and clear. I am concerned, as is Government, but I am particularly concerned given the impact on children. I want the best outcomes for our children. Having put in place all these additional services and additional funding and the Child and Family Agency, which has also received additional funding, it would be counter-productive not to have this problem addressed in as speedy a manner as possible. The Government is very much occupied by this issue.

Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I call Deputy Clare Daly. We are now behind time.