Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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14. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will confirm the number of complaints made to Tusla's Tell Us complaints portal in 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023; what the most common complaint was; how these complaints were dealt with; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15393/23]

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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My question is a little bit similar to what we were discussing earlier with regard to St. John Ambulance Ireland. Can the Minister confirm the number of complaints made to Tusla's Tell Us complaints portal in 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023? What was the most common complaint? How were they dealt with?

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, tries to ensure the best outcome for children, families, individuals and communities by listening to feedback and complaints through its Tell Us portal, which is available to all. In 2021, there were 598 complaints, in 2022, there were 749 and in 2023 to date, there have been 201 complaints. To note, in 2021, Tusla received 73,000 referrals and in 2022, it received 82,000 referrals. Tusla provides this data publicly in its annual reports, including a breakdown of the number and categories of complaints.

The complaint process has four stages. At stage 1, Tusla aims for a local resolution, where at all possible. Key performance indicator targets in its current corporate plan aim to improve the complaints resolved in this way by 15%. Tusla has met and exceeded these targets for 2021 and 2022 and is on target to exceed the 2023 target. In 2021, 49% of complaints were resolved at stage 1 and 62% were resolved during 2022. At stage 2, unresolved complaints are referred to a complaints officer who informally investigates. The complainant is given a report with the decision and recommendations. At stage 3, the complainant can seek a review by a complaint review officer who, if unsatisfied, will review and can provide any amendments or additions to the recommendations, if indicated by the review findings. If a complainant remains dissatisfied at stage 4, he or she can seek an independent review from the Office of the Ombudsman or the Ombudsman for Children's Office at that stage or at that point during the complaint process. Tusla promotes the constant improvement of its complaint handling and has developed specific training for staff in that regard, and monitors complaint data on a monthly basis.

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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This question arises from records released under the Freedom of Information Act, which show that HIQA was quite concerned over the way in which the Child and Family Agency processed and investigated allegations and complaints. Several of these complaints received by HIQA related to Tusla's management of child protection allegations and safeguarding concerns. Concerns have also been raised about the quality of care, including care planning, communication, governance and management. At the root of many of these complaints is probably the fact that so many social workers are often involved with one particular case. A young person or child can have a social worker who might change and then change again. Then, we know that many cases do not even have an assigned social worker, so that is also an issue. Obviously, we talk a lot about the early years. Consistency of care equals quality care. It is the same in Tusla for children in care. I know there is an issue with the retention of social workers, but we need to try to tackle that as one element of this.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Absolutely. In the first instance, with Tusla appearing before the Joint Committee on Children, Disability, Equality and Integration, of which Deputy Funchion is Chair, soon-----

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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Yes.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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-----there will perhaps be an opportunity to explore this matter directly with its representatives in more detail. I am certainly happy. As the Deputy knows, I have a quarterly meeting with Tusla. Perhaps I could raise that specific issue with HIQA at the next quarterly meeting and continue that discussion.

It is positive to see that some of these complaints are being resolved at a local basis. Obviously, there are times when complaints need to be elevated further. Of course, in a situation where even at the end of stage 4 of the Tusla process there is not satisfaction, the issue can be raised with the Ombudsman for Children's office, which, as the Deputy knows, is a statutorily independent office that is very vigorous in terms of pursuing issues like this.

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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We have an excellent Ombudsman for Children in Dr. Niall Muldoon, and the office deals very adequately with many complaints. We do not want to see a situation where it is getting to that stage, however. Barnardos also expressed concerns that if people are unhappy with the response they receive from State agencies, they would have the opportunity to register those concerns. I agree that it is good that some complaints are getting resolved. It is not that we want a situation where complaints are being made, but it is good that people would feel free to do so.

There is a concern around Tusla. Whenever any parents hear the word "Tusla", they think the worst. I deal regularly with parents, as I am sure many Deputies do, regarding the 20-day school letter. People panic about that because it is a letter that comes from Tusla. It is, therefore, good if people have the freedom to make those complaints and do not feel there will be any negative repercussions for them. We need to look, and maybe it is something we will also examine at committee, at the wider area of child protection and safeguarding and seeing how we can strengthen that.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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It is very important that people feel free to make those complaints. As the Deputy knows, whenever there is an issue in terms of the engagement of Tusla with the relationship between a parent and child, it does create an element of stress. The fact that there are a growing number of complaints means that people feel that even if they have an issue, they need not worry about retaliation or whatever. They should feel the systems are robust enough to allow them to make a complaint and get their issue sorted.

The Deputy rightly made the point that we have issues in terms of social workers, and just like we are working on it in terms of therapists for the CDNTs we are working to try to retain and recruit more social workers. While that is happening, there will be parents who feel like that, particularly if their child has moved between a number of social workers. We all know building that relationship is so important. It is absolutely legitimate that parents would flag their concerns. We do have a reasonably robust process in place at the moment.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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We will manage one more question, although not in its entirety and not for the whole six and a half minutes. I call Deputy Sherlock.