Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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580. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the actions that will be taken to address the recommendations and findings of the Health Information and Quality Authority report entitled Inspection of a high support unit in the Health Service Executive Dublin North East published recently. [2784/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) inspects High Support Units annually under Section 69 of the Child Care Act 1991. An unannounced inspection of a high support unit (HSU) in the Health Service Executive, Dublin North East (HSE DNE) was carried out on 1 - 2 October 2013. Of the eight recommendations made in the previous inspection, inspectors found that seven had either been completed or were ongoing and one recommendation, in relation to the development of a programme of works to ensure the structural and decorative order of the centre, had been partly completed. The inspection stated that there continued to be a good standard of care provided to children and that there was a committed management team and motivated staff group who were ensuring the delivery of a child centred service.

The report noted that the external door of the unit was locked from 8pm to 8am in an attempt to stop children leaving the unit at night. Inspectors found that children were at risk when in the community at night. The report also noted that the unit should not lock its external door as it was not a secure unit. Inspectors also had some concerns regarding fire drills and safety. The Report notes that the HSU staff team were providing a service to some children who required a different resource to meet their needs in terms of their high risk behaviours. Such children were found to be not suitably placed in an open residential setting at this time. The Child and Family Agency will continue to engage with other statutory services to address the needs of these children. This HIQA Inspection Report highlights the need to provide additional Special Care placements. There is a capital development programme already underway which will double our capacity to 34 beds in 2016. The HSU has outlined an Action Plan which is published within the Inspection Report. This plan reflects the ongoing monitoring of areas where practice and systems need further development and where actions are required to enhance compliance with all standards. The CFA has advised that these improvements have already commenced or are ongoing with key actions to implement a robust risk management system.