Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)
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225. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his plans to extend the emergency out-of-hours social work service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35266/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Tusla, the Child and Family Agency provides a range of services aimed at addressing emergency situations in the area of child welfare and protection. In the main, these emergency situations arise out of hours.

At present, out-of-hours emergency services for children at risk in the greater Dublin area are provided by Tusla through the Crisis Intervention Service (CIS). The remit of the service is to respond to crisis situations in which a child or young person requires immediate placement either due to child protection concerns or accommodation issues. The service is delivered by Tusla's social work service.

Outside the greater Dublin area, a more limited Emergency Place of Safety Service (EPSS) is provided for the Agency under a commercial arrangement by Five Rivers Ireland. Under Section 12 of the Child Care Act, 1991, a member of An Garda Síochána may remove a child to a place of safety where they have reasonable grounds for believing that there is an immediate risk to the health or welfare of a child. Under the EPSS, An Garda Síochána can access an emergency placement for such children found to be at risk out of hours. The child is placed in a family setting until the following working day, when the local social work service assumes responsibility for the case. The intention is to expand this service so that An Garda Síochána can consult with a social worker out of hours. This is presently not the case outside the greater Dublin area.

I am pleased to confirm that Tusla is establishing the Emergency Out of Hours Service (EOHS) in 2015. The EOHS will incorporate the existing Emergency Place of Safety Service. The key objective of the service is to co-operate with and support An Garda Síochána in the execution of their duties and responsibilities under Section 12(3) of the Child Care Act, 1991.

The EOHS will provide An Garda Síochána with:

- A National Call Centre which will be provided by the Crisis Intervention Service. It will provide social work consultation and advice, and will commence in Quarter 4, 2015.

- Access to a local on call social worker, if required. This service element will also commence in Quarter 4, 2015.

- Placement for children under Section 12 of the Child Care Act, 1991 using the services of a private company (Five Rivers Fostering Service).

The service will be available from 6.00pm to 7.00am, 365 days a year and between 9am and 5pm every Saturday, Sunday and Bank holiday. The service will be coordinated through the National Call Centre.