Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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669. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if Tusla has a dedicated working group providing support for children and parents living in emergency accommodation in view of their needs, due to the specific impacts on children in emergency accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40194/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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My Department, as part of a whole-Government approach to homelessness is committed to helping families by supporting implementation of Rebuilding Ireland: the Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness.Tusla, in addition to the measures set out below, is represented in the structures overseeing the implementation of this Action Plan

Together with Tusla, we are working to support parents and children in order to minimise, as much as possible, the impacts of living in emergency accommodation. This year, Tusla provided funding to Focus Ireland for additional child support workers to assist with the challenges facing families in emergency accommodation and I will be requesting Tusla to examine the possibility of funding similar initiatives in 2017.

Tusla is providing guidance for Home School Community Liaison and School Completion staff on helping children and families experiencing homelessness to maintain regular school attendance and has also appointed a Homelessness Liaison Officer to lead on its engagement with homeless services, particularly in respect of child protection issues. The joint protocol between Tusla and the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) governing child welfare and protection matters is fully operational and it is intended to replicate this protocol across the State.

A number of other initiatives are underway to help families in emergency accommodation. The DRHE is working to provide free public transport for family travel and for school journeys for those homeless families in the Dublin Region who are residing in hotel accommodation. My Department is funding research to identify issues regarding access to food and potential nutritional impacts on these families and we are also enhancing access to early years services for homeless children. I will announce this new scheme in the coming days.