Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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174. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of children on waiting lists to access counselling in the years 2012 to 2014 and in 2015 to date; the length of time these children are on the waiting list; the number of sessions of counselling that each child received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12393/15]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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175. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of children on waiting lists, to access counselling specifically relating to sexual abuse, in the years 2012 to 2014 and in 2015 to date; the length of time these children are on the waiting list; the number of sessions of counselling that each child received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12394/15]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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176. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the average waiting time to access counselling for children in the years 2012 to 2014 and in 2015 to date. [12395/15]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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177. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of counsellors available to children; and their area of speciality in the years 2012 to 2014 and in 2015 to date. [12396/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 174 to 177, inclusive, together.

Tusla, along with other agencies, provides counselling and support to children and families availing of the Agency's services including children who have been abused sexually. I am advised by Tusla that it does not collect data on waiting times for children to access counselling services.

Where children have suffered sexual abuse, therapy services are available in a variety of settings. There are specialist sexual abuse Centres at Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin and Temple Street Children's University Hospital. Therapy services are also provided by HSE community based psychologists and HSE Child And Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) for children who have moderate to severe mental health problems. If a child is taken into care as a result of sexual abuse the allocated social worker will provide counselling and support.

In addition, the Assessment, Consultation & Therapy Service(CTS) is a national specialised clinical service which has been developed in order to provide multidisciplinary consultation, assessment and focused interventions to young people who have high risk behaviours associated with complex clinical needs. ACTS also supports other professionals in their ongoing work with young people and their families.

This includes:

- on-site therapeutic services to young people in secure settings in Ireland (Special Care and the Children Detention Schools)

- support when young people return to community settings to help them to re-engage with mainstream services as appropriate

- assessment, consultation and/or intervention services in the community for children at significant risk of placement in secure settings.

I have asked Tusla to provide any available data in respect of other specific matters raised by the Deputy.