Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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224. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 517 of 2 October 2018 (details supplied), if guidance has been provided to social workers in regard to the threshold for a risk assessment, home visits, monitoring or other protective measures that should be taken if suspicions of abuse remain, if a child makes subsequent disclosures of abuse following a finding of unfounded and if the finding of unfounded only just meets the threshold for same. [41297/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I have asked the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, to supply me with the information requested by the Deputy and will revert directly when this has been received.

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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225. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 437 of 25 September 2018, if Tusla social workers will facilitate a parent or guardian in securing a second opinion following a finding of unfounded by an organisation (details supplied) in regard to an allegation of child sexual abuse. [41330/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Tusla have advised me that when their social workers seek a second opinion in relation to the findings of an assessment completed by an organisation such as St Clare’s Unit, it is general practice to seek a second opinion from a similar organisation, such as St Louise’s Unit. This is done to ensure the second opinion is independent and that the assessment process follows the same format.

In general social workers support a parent and/or a guardian securing a second opinion of an unfounded outcome in a situation where there were concerns that the original assessment was flawed and/or unreliable. All decisions made in relation to requests for a second opinion are based on the best interests of the child.