Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1196. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she is in a position to address the issues of children in direct provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9441/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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My colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality, has primary responsibility in the area of asylum and immigration. Policy responsibility for children applying for asylum travelling with their parents, insofar as it extends to my Department, is in relation to providing care and protection for any children where their welfare and safety are identified as a concern.

The Direct Provision system is also under the policy remit of my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality. Children living in Direct Provision are in the care of their parent(s). Concerns about the welfare, safety or well-being of a child in Direct Provision are reported to the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, in line with Children First guidelines. Tusla has been working closely with the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of the Department of Justice and Equality, which has responsibility for direct provision.

The needs of children in Direct Provision include education, preschool, medical and health issues. Tusla provides a range of services that offer advice and support to families. This includes the services of family support workers, social workers, youth workers, family resource centres, support groups and counselling services.

The Child and Family Services Unit within RIA is headed up by a seconded member of Tusla and links are made to the HSE, GPs, Tusla and voluntary and community groups as necessary.

The Report of the Working Group on the Protection Process including Direct Provision published in June 2015, includes a range of findings and recommendations concerning the development, welfare, protection and education of children. One of the recommendations states that, ‘Tusla and HSE should identify a named social worker on their respective child protection, mental health and primary care teams to be the identified lead social worker for a Direct Provision centre in their area.' I am happy to say that Tusla has agreed to implement this recommendation to support an improved co-ordinated approach to concerns about the welfare and safety of children living in Direct Provision.

Children, separated from their parents, who arrive in this jurisdiction and are seeking asylum, are placed in the care of the State. The majority of separated children are placed with foster carers around the country. Tusla has a dedicated Social Work Team which deals with separated children seeking asylum. Separated children are a vulnerable group and the State is duty bound by international and domestic law to protect and provide for them in the same way as it does for children normally resident in the State.

Under Tusla's 'Equity of Care Policy' regarding separated child in care, all children are allocated a social worker, who is responsible for the development and implementation of an individual statutory care plan for the child. Tusla maintains the equity and equality of services to separated children vis a vis other children in state care and ensures that there is no differentiation of standard care provision, care practices, care priorities, standards or protocols. All foster care organisations and residential centres are inspected against national standards.