Written answers

Wednesday, 13 February 2019

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Child and Family Agency

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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59. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the actions and timelines for implementation of actions undertaken pursuant to the conclusions of the Charleton report relating to Tusla; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7144/19]

Photo of Katherine ZapponeKatherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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While the third interim report from the Disclosures Tribunal was, as Mr Justice Charleton observed, primarily about holding policing to account, the report does make direct criticisms of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. There were clear improvements needed in the standards of management and accountability within Tusla's Cavan Monaghan area. I raised this with Tusla's Board and asked them to consider the steps it would take in terms of a management response and in terms of changing the culture of the agency.

Tusla has advised me that the Cavan Monaghan area is the subject of a comprehensive service improvement plan and is making improvements in governance, the management of current and retrospective cases, data protection and the management of risk.

The key issues raised in the Tribunal's report were already identified in the HIQA statutory investigation report, carried out at my direction and published in June 2018. The strategic action plan published by Tusla will address these concerns across all 17 of Tusla's service areas. The plan identifies a member of the senior management team to lead on each of the nine improvement themes, and includes a timeframe for completion for each of the 46 actions, covering the period 2019/2020. The strategic action plan is available on Tusla's website.

This strategic action plan encompasses the improvement and strengthening of the referrals process, the more timely and effective screening of referrals for risk, the management of retrospective cases, the prioritisation methodology of unallocated cases, a national performance and accountability framework, and improving governance.

This strategic action plan is subject to oversight by Tusla's Board. In addition, I have established an Expert Assurance Group (EAG) to monitor and advise me on the implementation of the recommendations from the HIQA report.

The EAG, my Department and Tusla's Board will continue to support and advise the Tusla Executive on its implementation of all actions addressing the serious issues identified by the Disclosures Tribunal and the report of HIQA's statutory investigation.

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