Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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623. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which she continues to improve the services available for the protection of children in the home, in foster care or in statutory residential care; if sufficient resources continue to be available to meet all likely future requirements, having particular regard to past experience; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15451/17]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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624. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which she has available to her adequate placement facilities for children at risk or deemed to be at risk; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15452/17]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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627. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which she has sufficient resources available to her Department to meet the anticipated demands of children at risk; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15455/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 623, 624 and 627 together.

Children First National Guidance (2011) gives advice for notifying Tusla of situations where abuse is suspected. A range of professionals including teachers, nurses, early years educators, Gardaí and other health professionals, who see children regularly, are in a good position to identify children at risk. Where someone has reasonable grounds for suspecting a child is being, or has been, abused, they are expected to immediately contact Tusla. The Children First Act, 2015, once it is fully commenced, will place a statutory obligation on key professionals (mandated persons) to report concerns of harm above a defined threshold to Tusla without delay. It is my intention that these provisions will be commenced by the end of 2017.

Under the Child Care Act, 1991 and the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, Tusla has a duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care or protection. When a child cannot live with their parents and is received into care, it is Tusla policy to place them in care settings, preferably in foster care, as close as possible to their home and community. A very small minority of children under 18 years of age have highly specialised needs arising from severe behavioural or other difficulties, due to their childhood experiences or in some cases as a result of injury, accident or disability. The care needs of these children are generally met by directly provided residential services or a privately commissioned service.

Tusla has Foster Care Committees in place across the country and regularly seeks to recruit more foster carers. In addition, Tusla procures and develops residential accommodation to deliver on its annual business plan objectives. Tusla also procures a range of services from the private sector, including additional foster or residential placements, and such specialist services as are needed to address individual care plans. Tusla also co-ordinates with the relevant State bodies, accessing supports across a range of areas, including health, psychosocial services and education.

Each referral received by the Agency is assessed and dealt with on an individual basis by the duty social work team. It is of note that, at the end of Quarter 3, 2016, Tusla reported that approximately 60% of the referrals received were of a child welfare concern, and the remaining related to child protection concerns. Tusla refers child welfare concerns to the relevant family and community support services. At any stage, if circumstances change or new information comes to light and there is concern about abuse, the child protection pathway is followed.

Tusla provides me with information on a monthly and quarterly basis outlining the increasing demands for their services, and how they are dealing with children awaiting services. This information provides me with the information needed to assess how well we are supporting vulnerable children. Also, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), inspects Tusla child welfare and protection services, statutory children’s residential care centres and foster care services while Tusla inspects children’s residential centres run by the private and voluntary sectors.

This valuable and detailed information continues to inform the Department and Tusla in the business planning needed to maintain and further enhance the range of services for the care and protection of children. Tusla is currently engaged in the second year of a three year recruitment programme to expand the cohort of social workers, social care workers and business support staff. I have secured additional funding for Tusla to enable this and the current and capital Exchequer funding for Tusla is some €713 million for 2017.