Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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298. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her Department is working on risk assessments for every homeless child; the mental health monitoring that is taking place for children experiencing homelessness; if free counselling or other mental health interventions are being made available to the 2,505 homeless children across the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6219/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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While my Department and Tusla have no responsibility in relation to mental health services, I would like to inform the Deputy of Tusla’s response, relevant to this area.

A child, irrespective of accommodation status, who comes to the attention of Tusla and whose circumstances are such, will, where the appropriate threshold has been reached, have an assessment carried out by a social worker.

Where Tusla has concerns regarding the welfare and development of a child, due to parenting difficulties or adverse environmental factors, they will provide family supports to assist the family and child.

If during the course of an assessment the social worker forms the view that a further mental health assessment is required an appropriate referral will be made for the child in question. Social workers do not carry out mental health assessments nor monitor mental health. Mental health service provision, in a similar vein, is not the responsibility of Tusla. As with other therapeutic and general medical services, Tusla relies on other State agencies for the delivery of the appropriate support.

Policy in relation to mental health and associated service provision is a matter for the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive respectively, who may be able to provide further and particular information to the Deputy.