Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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564. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which her Department can react quickly to allegations of child abuse in a setting in which the State has intervened or accepted responsibility for the care of such children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31543/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Tusla holds the statutory responsibility for child welfare and protection, and is the appropriate body to receive reports relating to the safety and well-being of a child. This applies to children under the age of 18, living in their own home or living in care. Each referral received by Tusla is assessed and dealt with on an individual basis by the relevant social work team. In March 2017, Tusla informs me that there are 6,308 children in the care of the State. Of these the vast majority, (5,819) are in foster care, while 489 are in residential care or other types of care.

There are safeguards surrounding each child care placement, whether foster or residential care. Placements are supervised by a professionally qualified social worker, and the provision of care services is monitored by Tusla management and is subject to inspections by the Health Information Quality Authority and by Tusla Registration Services. Tusla is also aware of and alert to the possibility of child on child abuse in care settings, and has processes in place to deal appropriately with such incidents.

The Deputy should also be aware that children in care have access to independent advocacy supports, such as the organisation Empowering People in Care, or EPIC. Children in care also have access to the complaints mechanism in Tulsa, and may make complaints, or be assisted to make complaints, about their care to the Office of the Ombudsman for Children .

There is, however, no room for complacency about our safeguarding measures, and they are under constant review to ensure that they are effective.