Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1058. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the date Tusla first became aware of fraud convictions regarding persons connected to a service provider (details supplied); whether this information was known prior to contract awards or payment from October 2018 to December 2023; if so, the dates and records of that knowledge; and if not, the reason therefor. [48143/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1059. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the payments by Tusla to a service provider (details supplied) from 2018 to 2023, by year, in tabular form; the date Tusla ceased all engagement; and whether a recovery process has been initiated to recoup public monies following the convictions, including the legal basis and quantum sought. [48144/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1060. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the full due-diligence checklist applied by Tusla before initial engagement with a service provider (details supplied) including criminal records, national vetting bureau vetting, beneficial ownership checks, CRO directorship checks, and reference verification for directors and key personnel, indicating which checks were completed, the dates, and by whom. [48145/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1061. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to publish Tusla’s internal compliance reviews, audits and investigation reports into a service provider (details supplied); the dates of initiation and completion; and if she will place unredacted or appropriately redacted copies in the Oireachtas Library, stating any statutory ground relied upon for non-disclosure if refused. [48146/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1062. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children placed with a service provider (details supplied) from 2018 to 2023, by year; whether retrospective individual risk assessments were completed for each child once falsified vetting and references were identified; the dates completed; and the number of guardians and guardians ad litem formally notified. [48147/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1063. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if any Tusla officials responsible for approving, monitoring or paying a service provider (details supplied) faced disciplinary action, performance management or referral to a regulator; and the actions taken, dates, and outcomes. [48148/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1058, 1059, 1060, 1061, 1062 and 1063 together.

Due to a significant increase in demand for placements for children in the care of Tusla, the agency has increasingly engaged private providers, , to provide Special Emergency Arrangements on a short term basis pending identification of long term placements for children and young people.

The Department has liaised with Tusla regarding the issue of non-compliance by this service provider regarding falsifying of documentation related to Garda vetting and staff qualifications.

Tusla identified these issues in March 2023 and put immediate measures in place to cease using this service and pursued this company through regulatory enforcement, to support the first successful prosecution, in the Courts.

Tusla has advised that no new Special Emergency Arrangements (SEAs) were made with this company since April 2023.

In March 2023, inspections were carried out by Tusla’s Alternative Care Inspection and Monitoring Service (ACIMS), which indicated that the service had submitted fraudulent information.

Following initial concerns raised by ACIMS during that inspection, joint checks were conducted by ACIMS and PASM (Practice Assurance and Service Monitoring) teams at all provider-operated centres, leading to the establishment of the Central Compliance Unit (CCU) on 24/04/2023.This unit was put in place to enable it to examine evidence from providers of special emergency accommodation to ensure that their staff have Garda Vetting and adequate qualifications.

The Central Compliance Unit (CCU) and centralised national database of staff screening information (relating to each provider) provides assurances on the vetting, qualifications, and experience of staff employed by external agencies/organisations providing care in Special Emergency Arrangements.

In addition, Tusla’s Practice Assurance and Service Management (PASM) Team (of which ACIMS is a part) support Tulsa’s local social work and regional teams through a schedule of intelligence-led monitoring visits to individual SEAs. A particular emphasis of these PASM visits is to meet and consult with the young people in these arrangements to ensure their views are gathered and considered.

Tusla advised the Department of Children that they have not initiated a formal procurement process for all SEA’s, rather individual Special Emergency Arrangements are put in place at a local level based on the immediate needs of children and young people under the governance of Special Emergency Arrangements Oversight Groups in each region.