Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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927. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of beds or placements provided by Tusla for unaccompanied minors and other children in the care of the State who are seeking international protection or are beneficiaries of temporary protection in each of the years from 2015 to 2024 and to date in 2025, and by placement type, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63538/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As this question relates to operational information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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928. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total gross expenditure by Tusla on accommodation and related services for unaccompanied minors and other children in State care who are seeking international protection or are beneficiaries of temporary protection in the years 2020 to 2025, by programme or subhead, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63539/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As this question relates to operational information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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929. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of whole-time equivalent Tusla staff assigned to work with separated children seeking international protection, including any staff engaged in age-assessment work, in each of the years from 2020 to 2025, by grade and function, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63540/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As this question relates to operational information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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930. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the existing protocols and memoranda of understanding between his Department, Tusla and the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in respect of age assessment for persons claiming to be minors in the international protection or temporary protection systems; whether these arrangements are currently under review; whether the adoption of models such as the Danish system or any novel testing methods, including qPCR or droplet digital PCR-based age-estimation techniques is being considered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63541/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Tusla makes every effort to ensure that unaccompanied minors seeking International Protection are kept safe.

As the Deputy may be aware, there has been a 500% increase in arrivals of Separated Children Seeking International Protection (SCSIP) entering the State since 2022, with the vast majority of arrivals aged 16 or 17 years of age. Due to this exponential year on year rise, Tusla is facing significant and ongoing challenges in sourcing appropriate accommodation.

The legal basis for undertaking age assessments for unaccompanied minors claiming international protection is set out under the International Protection Act 2015, and such assessments falls under the remit of the Minister for Justice and the International Protection Office.

Section 14 of the International Protection Act 2015 is the main legislative provision underpinning referrals by immigration authorities to Tulsa for unaccompanied minors. When Tusla receives a notification under the International Protection Act 2015, there is a presumption that the international protection applicant is a child. This presumption has a statutory basis and carries significant legal weight and informs Tusla and other agencies such as An Garda Síochána in their dealings with the person.

Section 3 of the Child Care Act 1991 provides that it shall be the function of the Child and Family Agency to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. In order to fulfil its statutory responsibility to children in need of care and protection, Tusla has a role in undertaking an intake eligibility assessment for unaccompanied minors to determine if they require services from the separated children’s team.

Where a determination is made that an unaccompanied minor requires the services from the separated children’s team, Tusla arranges for the delivery of such services, including the accommodation of the child in an appropriate setting.

I can inform the Deputy that trilateral discussions are ongoing between officials in the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, and Tusla on the matter of age assessments for Separated Children Seeking International Protection. Both Departments are working closely with Tusla regarding the International Protection Bill under the EU Migration Pact as it relates to unaccompanied minors, including work on provisions relating to age assessments. The draft bill will be published by the Department of Justice in the near future.