Results 3,041-3,060 of 20,382 for speaker:Brian Stanley
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)
Brian Stanley: Okay, it was between 30% and 50%. Obviously, when unaccompanied minors arrive, Tusla has to provide for them. People obviously------
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)
Brian Stanley: This problem has been landed on Tusla. I do not want to say it is a problem but the responsibility for this has landed into Tusla's office. I want to try to figure out what is happening here. Tusla had 1,200 children in two years and approximately 600 of those - 550 or so - were from Ukraine. Has Mr. Delaney's Department contacted the Ukrainian Embassy to find out why and how minors are...
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)
Brian Stanley: Not this specific issue.
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)
Brian Stanley: Why is that?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)
Brian Stanley: We have children arriving in this country and this has landed on Tusla's doorstep at a time when we are under huge pressure. I will refer to the staffing issues and what is being done in a minute. I know Ms Duggan is trying to take some measures to get on top of this. However, we have huge resources issues and huge problems with getting suitable accommodation. The tap is still turned on...
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)
Brian Stanley: It needs to be raised.
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)
Brian Stanley: As a country, we have welcomed more than 100,000 people, including in Mr. Delaney's home town, who are in modular accommodation, and that is a good thing to do. It is not acceptable, however, for a country that has relied on this small State to take in more than 100,000 people to somehow have a laissez-faire attitude towards minors arriving here. I ask that the Department take this up with...
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)
Brian Stanley: I understand there is conflict in those countries and the systems may not be functioning as well as they ought to be, but it is a very basic thing that airport checks are done. My God, a minor would not get out of this country unaccompanied, or it would be very difficult to do so. Which age categories are arriving here?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)
Brian Stanley: Of those, 96% are over 16.
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)
Brian Stanley: Are any of them over 18?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)
Brian Stanley: That is under the aegis of the Department of Justice.
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)
Brian Stanley: The Department is handling the child or young person. I accept that.
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)
Brian Stanley: Ms Duggan is saying that some of these young people may be over 18 and they have to be separated from people who are genuinely under 18. This adds to the problem. The responsibility for checking this falls to the IPO, which is under the Department of Justice. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth looks after accommodation. I want to get to the bottom of...
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)
Brian Stanley: The issue of going back through the chain of checks and determining who is responsible has come up in other areas with other Departments that have appeared before the committee. I ask that the Department take this up actively with the Department of Justice. The current situation is not acceptable. I preface this by making the point that we have to help those children who are genuinely...
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)
Brian Stanley: There need to be sufficient airport checks in place to make sure those who are presenting as children are children, but we also need to address the issue of how they are being allowed to leave the country unaccompanied.
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)
Brian Stanley: We need to help the ones who are genuine and we cannot do so if we have a system that is too loose and not rule-based. On staffing, I refer to the drop in the number of social workers. We spoke about the CDNTs and CAMHS. That has a consequence that I, as a public representative, find very frustrating. I get a significant number of complaints about it. If the children are not receiving...
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)
Brian Stanley: Okay. What are the current figures? The report back in September stated the deficit was 340 social workers and 244 social care workers. The figures provided this morning indicate there are far fewer vacancies now, but there has not been significant recruitment. Is Ms Duggan saying that report was inaccurate?
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)
Brian Stanley: Ms Duggan stated that we need approximately 500 a year.
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)
Brian Stanley: Local authorities need social workers in many cases. Ms Duggan outlined a number of matters on which Tusla is collaborating with a university in Scotland. It is also dealing with the Department of further and higher education. Mention was made of apprenticeships, which would be brilliant to be brought on stream. I am not sure how we will get around this. It is a societal issue. It is...
- Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)
Brian Stanley: Is it a four-year apprenticeship?