Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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264. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has received a report on Tusla by HIQA in the past month; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26150/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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In the past month, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs has not received a specific report on Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, from the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA).

My Department is routinely provided with HIQA inspection reports on the services provided by Tusla. These reports are published by HIQA on its website. As of 29 May, 2017, 16 inspection reports have been published, three of which were published in May 2017. HIQA carries out inspections independently against the relevant standards for a number of services, including: children residential centres; special care units; private and statutory foster care services; and Tusla's child welfare and protection services.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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265. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has received HIQA's report on the management of allegations of child sexual abuse; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26151/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Earlier this year I directed the Health Information Quality Authority, under Section 9 of the Health Act 2007, to carry out a statutory investigation of Tusla’s management of allegations of child sexual abuse. HIQA published its Terms of Reference and methodology for this investigation on 25 April 2017. The HIQA investigation is to assess how local, regional and national governance arrangements in Tulsa are supporting the effective management of child-sexual abuse referrals involving adults of concern (including allegations of child-sexual abuse made by adults in relation to when they were children).

The statutory investigation is precluded from examining matters that fall within the Terms of Reference of the Tribunal of Inquiry established to inquire into certain protected disclosures, arising from the protected disclosures made by Garda Sergeant Maurice McCabe. HIQA has stated that in the interest of fair procedures, it does not envisage making public comment on the investigation prior to publication.

Publication of the final report is now a matter for HIQA, following approval by the HIQA Board. I look forward to receiving the report in due course.