Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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7. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide the number of voluntary and private residential child care centres in the Dublin North East; the number of young persons in each of these centres and the budget allocation for each centre. [35436/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Child and Family Agency has a statutory duty under the Child Care Act 1991and the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013, to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. Depending on the nature of the individual circumstances, a child may be received into the care of the State. At the end of July 2014, there were 6,466 children in care.

The majority - 93% - of children in care are placed in foster care with a family. Where a foster care placement is unsuitable, children may be placed in a children's residential centre. There were 339 children placed in children's residential centres at the end of July 2014. Children's residential centres can be operated directly by the Agency or by a private or voluntary provider on behalf of the Agency. A child is placed in a private residential centre when no suitable Child and Family Agency placement is available and the placement has been assessed as meeting the needs of the child. Children with more complex and challenging needs are generally placed in private residential centres.

Nationally, at the end of July 2014, 163 children in residential care were placed in private residential centres, 38 of whom were in private residential centres in Dublin North East. I am advised by the Agency that in February 2014, there were 63 Private Residential Child Care Centres in operation throughout the country. 21 of these were based in the Dublin North East Region. I have asked the Agency for up to date information in relation to this Region and I will arrange for this to be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.

The Agency undertook a tendering process in 2013 for the provision of private residential placements. All Private Children's Residential Providers are now subject to contract. The Agency advised that approximately 91 places in 23 centres operated by 9 providers will be subject to a block-book contract at € 4,500 per week per place. This is a reduction from the previous average cost of €5,000 per week prior to tendering process. The value of the tender is €23.6 million.

The Agency advised that the number of placements procured is less than what is used from the private sector at any one time so the Agency does not pay for beds that are not used. This means the Agency "spot purchase" a number of beds over and above what is procured on a block basis.

All private children's residential centres who were not awarded or did not enter the block-book element of the tender will also be considered as approved providers for "spot purchased " placements. These "spot purchased" placements are now governed for the first time ever by an approved provider system. 136 places are available in 40 centres operated by 17 approved providers who were not part of the above tender process, should these placements be required by the Agency. These providers are contracted to provide placements in this manner and costs only arise when a child is placed in one of these placements. The cost of each child's placement will vary according to the identified needs of the individual child and cannot be qualified, though the base cost is generally €5,000 per week.