Dáil debates

Tuesday, 20 October 2020

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions

Childcare Services

8:20 pm

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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32. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the degree to which he and his Department have monitored the issue of child welfare throughout the course of the pandemic; the issues arising and needing attention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31248/20]

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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This question seeks to ascertain the extent to which the Minister and his Department have been able to focus on the welfare and well-being of children in the course of the pandemic.

Photo of Roderic O'GormanRoderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I will focus on elements that Tusla has undertaken as the child and family agency and set out the work it has done.

During the first four weeks following the restrictions, there was a significant reduction of 36% in the number of referrals to Tusla. At that point, Tusla rolled out a significant information campaign across social media and traditional media as well, reminding the public that its child protection services were open, and encouraging referrals of children at risk. Over the past six months, the average number of weekly referrals has increased and is now 12% lower than the average rate in the weeks before the pandemic.

Tusla has a highly effective national childcare information system. This has allowed social workers to quickly adapt to remote working. Social workers continued to monitor referrals and information on the child protection notification system to identify the children who most needed close monitoring and to ensure they were visited directly by their social worker, even during the restrictions. The data on that system indicated to local managers where they should take direct steps in response to the drop-off in referrals. Tusla established a dedicated crisis management team to lead the organisation's response to the Covid-19 outbreak and to ensure continuity of critical services. Meetings were attended by a senior official from my Department to ensure there was ongoing communication between the Department and Tusla.

Tusla prioritised contact between children in care and family members in a range of innovative ways. It developed clear guidance for social workers in undertaking public health risk assessment before doing home visits. As discussed earlier, additional funding was provided to domestic and gender violence. My Department developed emergency regulations to allow for the assessment of foster carers in keeping with public health restrictions. To ensure the public was fully informed, my Department launched the supporting children information and media campaign in June. This campaign encourages everyone to be mindful of vulnerable children in these challenging times. There is also significant information available on the Government website gov.ie.

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for the reply. To what extent has Tusla been able to identify specific or particular issues that are salient at this particular time and to what extent has it addressed, or is in the course of addressing, such matters?

Photo of Roderic O'GormanRoderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Tusla identified three core priorities during the lockdown, domestic violence, children in residential care and their ongoing interaction with their parents and children in foster care as well. It focused all its resources in those particular areas. We have had the opportunity to discuss the specific supports provided for domestic violence services to ensure that they had additional staff, that where a staff member was sick due to Covid or for any other reason, their position was not idle, that PPE was provided and that ICT support was provided so these services could make the movement online.

As regards, social workers, again, Tusla very quickly moved to online working. It was very innovative. Meetings between parents and children took place in car parks, with two cars parked close to each other, socially distant, to allow that really important contact between a parent and a child in care to be maintained, while at the same time adhering to public health requirements regarding social distancing.

Question No. 33 replied to with Written Answers.