Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I echo the call for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to come to the House to outline the strategy regarding the industrial unrest. Indeed, we are facing a winter of discontent. I am also a little wary of Fine Gael and its privatisation policy for public services. We need investment, not disinvestment.

I wish to bring to the attention of the House the data released by the Child Care Law Reporting Project last week. The data concern the number of care order applications which were made in courts throughout the country with regard to children where there is deemed to be a serious or immediate risk to the health and welfare of the child. In 2004, there were 9,864 care order applications. By 2015, the number had increased to 14,124. The main reason put forward for the significant increase is care order applications, applications for extensions and reviews of current care orders. The data reveal that there is a significant increase in care order applications from 1,800 to 3,413. A large amount of information is contained in the figures and they should be explored further. We can surmise as a result of the figures that Tusla is doing more intensive work, which is to be welcomed. We can also surmise that more children are at risk around the country. There are many regional variations in terms of applications, orders and orders rejected. For example, in one county there were 1,400 applications last year while in another county there were only 14. There must be more research to examine the reasons for this imbalance. I suggest that the Minister be invited to the House for a debate on the work of Tusla with regard to care orders.