Written answers

Thursday, 7 October 2021

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Child Protection

Photo of Ivana BacikIvana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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111. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been brought to recent reports which raise concerns about child protection and governance policies and practices within an organisation (details supplied); if he will provide details as to the extent of Tusla funding provided to the organisation; and if he has plans to provide a mechanism for the exchange of information about child protection concerns on a cross-Border basis between this jurisdiction and Northern Ireland. [48515/21]

Photo of Roderic O'GormanRoderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I can confirm that I am aware of the serious incident regarding a child protection matter which had occurred at the organisation referred to by the Deputy. In response a working group was established under the remit of Tusla’s Director of Services and Integration and a number of safeguarding measures were agreed and implemented within the organisation.

In addition, an independent review on children’s safe guarding was established by the organisation and Tusla is awaiting outcome of that review.

Tusla is a major commissioner of services to the organisation, spending in the region of €6.5 million annually.

My Department supports Tusla in its ongoing engagement with the organisation to ensure service users are safe and that there is clear communication on any safeguarding issues, in line with Children First.

I believe it is appropriate to expect that any organisation working with vulnerable young people operate to the highest standards in terms of governance and child protection.

Tusla has had intensive engagements with the organisation, and continues to have monthly meetings, to ensure that the governance and child protection arrangements within the organisation are robust and operate effectively. On the basis of these monthly reviews, I have been assured that there are no outstanding governance issues relating to the organisation. Nevertheless, my officials will continue to engage with Tusla in relation to this important matter.

In relation to cross-border issues, my officials have worked extensively with colleagues in the Department of Health in Northern Ireland, to update the Protocol now known as the ‘Protocol Between Northern Ireland and Ireland for Handling Inter-Jurisdictional Child Cases’. A final version of the updated protocol has been agreed, and this came into effect in August 2021.

Child cases which have an inter-jurisdictional complexity must be handled in compliance with international and domestic law. Following the UK's departure from the EU, and the end of the transition period, Tusla's cross-border work is carried out in the context of the 1996 Hague Convention.

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