Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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34. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which she and her Department have identified potential threats to children and young persons, including children with special needs; the extent to which adequate staff are available to her office to ensure full and rapid investigation; the identification of issues such as cyber abuse or other issues deemed to affect the stability and security of young persons; if she anticipates the introduction of further regulations to address such issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22328/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I wish to assure the Deputy that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, deals immediately with emergency cases, including for instance, if a child has been abandoned or is in immediate physical danger or at immediate risk of sexual abuse. Social work duty teams keep high priority cases under review by regularly checking to ascertain risk to the child, and where necessary will reprioritise the case. I would note that the issue of internet safety , including the making of any regulations, generally comes under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality. However, officials from my Department are aware of such potential threats including the sexual exploitation of young people. These concerns were taken into consideration in the development of the new Children First Guidelines.

A joint protocol for interagency collaboration has been recently published together by Tusla and the HSE and both agencies are committed to implementing it across the country. The protocol clarifies the separate and distinct roles, responsibilities and legal requirements of both agencies and will ensure joint and effective management of the transition of young people with a disability and / or complex mental health issues to adult services. The objective of the protocol is to provide clarity for children and families whose needs cross between the HSE and Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. It also seeks, among other things, to ensure that services are child and family centred and eliminate the potential for fragmentation or duplication. This is a highly significant protocol governing how children in care and young people in aftercare access disability-related services.  The Protocol also provides for a clear escalation process that can be used by Tusla or the HSE should an issue arise, or if there is an unresolved matter regarding access to appropriate, available services.

Each referral received by Tusla is assessed and dealt with on an individual basis by the relevant social work team. Tusla's policy is to refer child welfare referrals to relevant family and community support services. At any stage, if a determination is made that there is abuse, whether physical, emotional, sexual or neglect, from which there is an ongoing risk of significant harm, the child protection pathway is followed. In a minority of cases this may lead to the child being placed on the Child Protection Notification System (CPNS) or the child being received into care.