Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide a full breakdown of the number of children placed in institutions outside of Ireland under a special care order granted by the High Court during 2012 with details of the various locations and various countries in which the children were placed; the duration of each placement; the cost to the State of each placement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6509/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Under the Child Care Act, 1991, the Health Service Executive has a duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care or protection. The policy of the HSE is to place children in care settings, preferably in foster care, as close as possible to their home and community. At the end of October 2012 there were a total of 6,286 children in care. Of these 5,779 were in Foster Care, 367 were in Residential Care and 140 were in other care placements.

A very small minority of young people under 18 years of age have highly specialised needs arising from severe behaviour difficulties, due to their childhood experiences or in some cases as a result of injury, accident or disability. The care needs of these young people are generally met by directly provided residential services or services commissioned by the HSE within Ireland.

For a small number of young people, the HSE is on occasion required to make arrangements for their placement in care and treatment facilities outside of the State, primarily in the UK, to allow for access to an individually tailored mix of care and therapeutic services and psychiatric treatment not currently available in this country. This is done on as infrequent a basis as possible and only where such placement is considered to be in the best interest of the child. These placements are made under the order and supervision of the High Court.

The HSE ensure that these placements are suitable and the child's social worker visits regularly and makes arrangements for family or carers of the child to also visit.

The units in which the children are placed are inspected and regulated by their national authorities and the HSE.

The level of requirement for these services is closely monitored by the HSE's National Director for Children an Family Services.

The general issue of referral of persons abroad for specialised therapeutic interventions is an established feature within our health and social care system as it is in many other jurisdictions of similar size and is not unique to childcare services. However, recourse to such arrangements for children is kept to a minimum and decisions in each case are made in the best interests of the child.

The additional information sought by the Deputy will be forwarded in the coming days.