Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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557. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of special care places nationwide; the number of children currently on the special care waiting list; how many special care orders are active for children who are not currently able to access special care; what is the plan to tackle the growing waiting list for special care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10189/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Child and Family Agency (Tusla) has statutory responsibility for the operation of special care in Ireland, and for the provision of special care beds. Tusla have advised that the total combined capacity of Special Care Units is 26, and that at present the current maximum occupancy in these Units is 13, due primarily to challenges in staffing beds. Tusla have further advised that, at this time, there are 10 young people who are currently the subject of a Special Care Order, in accordance with the Child Care Act 1991, who are not in a Special Care Unit owing to the absence of an available staffed bed.

Tusla has advised that the Tusla Director of Services and Integration continues to engage with Regional Chief Officers to ensure all possible mitigations are in place to manage the risks to the safety and welfare of young people who are subject to a Special Care Order and are awaiting a special care bed.

Every effort is being made by Tusla to support the provision of appropriate care to vulnerable children, including special care where appropriate, and to support access to and egress from the special care service. Tusla is progressing a number of initiatives to support the recruitment and retention of staff in special care, which is currently a primary limiting factor on the maximum number of beds that may be occupied in these units.

In this regard, Tusla has advised that there is a dedicated recruitment team responsible for bespoke and rolling recruitment campaigns for special care on the Tusla website, ongoing engagement with three recruitment agencies to recruit for special care services, and a graduate recruitment program to attract Social Care Workers to the service. Tusla has also indicated that it has identified new staffing agencies, which are currently being piloted in special care services.

Tusla has also progressed a number of initiatives focussed on workforce stabilisation in special care. These include allowing for the permanent placement of staff in temporary higher appointments, and the conversion of agency staff to become permanent employees of Tusla. Special care services are also involved in a group which is investigating the potential recruitment of social care workers through an apprenticeship model programme.

Tusla has also made extensive efforts to address the challenge of staff retention, in the very challenging working environment that is special care. It has advised that a Violence Harassment and Aggression Working Group was established in 2023, and that this Group has identified several initiatives that have been implemented in 2024.

While the operation of special care and the provision of special care beds is the statutory responsibility of Tusla, my Department is actively engaging with Tusla in relation to the issues impacting on special care, and will continue to provide whatever support to Tusla that is necessary to address the current very significant challenges impacting on this service, within the two organisations’ respective roles.

In this regard, I have resourced Tusla to maintain and expand their services by securing additional funding in Budget 2024. This represents the single largest annual increase in core funding since Tusla’s establishment, and Tusla will receive over €1.1 billion in overall funding from my Department in 2024. In addition, my Department and Tusla have established a Special Care Planning Group to support Tusla’s consideration of the future configuration of the special care service in Ireland.

Both Tusla and my Department are well aware of the challenges in special care. My Department and Tusla share the Deputy’s concern that children in the care of the State, of whom those requiring special care are perhaps the most vulnerable, should have access to a special care place when they need it.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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My Department provides an annual core funding grant to the National Women's Council of Ireland (NWCI). The allocation for 2024 is €678,000.

In line with the McKenna and McCrystal principles on the use of public funds in a referendum, the NWCI are not permitted to use any portion of this funding to campaign or promote a position in favour or against any outcome of the forthcoming referenda.

The NWCI have a statement on their website regarding the funding of their referendum campaign, which is available at the following link: www.nwci.ie/discover/about_us/statement_on_funding_for_referendum_campaign.