Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
Link to this: Individually | In context

531. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of occasions in the past five years on which has Tusla flown children to the UK so they could be accommodated in secure units there; if a guardian ad litem accompanied children on every occasion; who else accompanied the children; the age profile of the children; the number of Irish children currently being accommodated in this way; the length of time they have been living in these arrangements for; the number of occasions on which Tusla hired a private plane; in these cases, if every possible option in Ireland was explored beforehand; if any children turned 18 while in a secure unit in the UK; and if so, the aftercare options they they were offered in the UK and in Ireland. [64662/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy on this matter as soon as possible.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
Link to this: Individually | In context

532. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of occasions in the past five years on which Tusla has housed in eating disorder units or other CAMHS units children who had not been found to have a mental disorder, due to a lack of secure placements. [64663/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy on this matter as soon as possible.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
Link to this: Individually | In context

533. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of secure unit places available nationally for both girls and boys in Ireland; how that compares to the demand; and to outline whether there is ever a waiting list. [64664/25]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
Link to this: Individually | In context

534. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of special emergency arrangement locations Kare Plus South has open with Tusla; the qualifications its staff must have in order to look after children living in these arrangements; if the staff have therapeutic crisis intervention training; if the staff working in a location (details supplied) where a serious incident took place have therapeutic crisis intervention training; the qualifications the staff members on duty at the time of the stabbing have, without identifying them or the children in question; the ratio of children to staff in the centre at the time of the attack; whether it is the case that this centre was due to be closed the week following the attack prior to the attack itself; if so, why it was being closed; whether any review was ever conducted on the suitability of this accommodation; and if so, by whom. [64665/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

535. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total annual expenditure by Tusla on subcontracted private providers, including limited companies, engaged to provide residential or emergency care placements for children in each of the past five years. [64890/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

536. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of limited companies currently providing care placements to Tusla under contract, the range of services delivered, and the number of children placed with each provider. [64891/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

537. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department monitors the ownership structures, beneficial owners or corporate arrangements of limited companies contracted by Tusla to provide child care placements. [64892/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My department does not directly monitor the ownership structures of companies contracted by Tusla, to provide child care placements. However, it does have regular engagement with Tusla at all levels, to address issues related to the provision of services.

Tusla was established as an independent agency under the aegis of my department, to promote the development, welfare, education and protection of children and young people, and to provide supports to vulnerable children and families.

These services include the provision of residential care placements. Tusla provides these services, through a mix of residential centres owned and operated by Tusla, as well as centres operated by NGOs and providers in the private sector.

Regarding the provision of placements by external providers, Tusla procures these services in compliance with relevant legislation, procurement rules, and government Circulars in relation to grant funding.

Tusla has procedures in place for the monitoring of service provision. Tusla’s Practice Assurance and Service Monitoring (PASM) team undertakes reviews of Tusla funded services. It conducts practice audits focussing on governance, risk management, and internal control systems. Where issues or concerns arise Tusla takes action to minimise risk.

While residential care centres provided by the private sector is a necessary component of alternative care, this department has secured significant additional investment (Current and Capital), in recent budgets, for Tusla to increase the number of Tusla owned-and-operated residential care centres.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

538. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of regulatory inspections carried out by private subcontracted providers in each of the past five years, the number of breaches identified, and the remedial actions directed. [64893/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

539. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if any private subcontracted provider has been sanctioned, suspended or removed from eligibility to receive referrals from Tusla in the past five years, and the reasons for those decisions. [64894/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

540. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average cost per child per week for placements provided by subcontracted private companies, and the comparable cost of Tusla-operated placements delivering the same level of care. [64895/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

541. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if Tusla has completed any value-for-money assessments on the use of private subcontractors for childcare placements, and if she will publish the assessments. [64896/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As this matter relates to Tusla's value-for-money assessments on the use of private subcontractors this requires additional information from the agency. As such, I have referred the question to Tusla, to reply directly to the Deputy.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

542. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department has received any reports, internal warnings or correspondence regarding governance failures, safeguarding concerns or quality-of-care issues within subcontracted private care providers. [64897/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

543. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of unannounced inspections carried out on subcontracted private child care providers in each of the past five years, and the inspection outcomes. [64898/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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.