Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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1057. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla disaggregates re referral data to distinguish between new concerns and repeat or unresolved child protection risks; and whether such distinctions are monitored as part of key performance or safeguarding indicators. [40179/26]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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1060. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla collects and reports data on repeat child protection interventions involving the same child or family; whether such data forms part of any performance, risk, or oversight metrics; and if she will provide figures for each of the past five years. [40183/26]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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1062. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla records the number of reopened social work cases within specified timeframes following closure; whether these are monitored as indicators of case resolution or system performance; and if she will provide the relevant figures for each of the past five years. [40185/26]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1057, 1060 and 1062 together.

Statutory and operational responsibility for the delivery of child protection and welfare services is a matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The Deputy is seeking information in relation to an operational matter for Tusla. Consequently, I have referred the matter to Tusla, and requested that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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1058. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether re referral rates within Tusla are included as formal key performance indicators, governance metrics or safeguarding indicators under the Tusla Oversight Agreement; whether any targets, thresholds or trend analyses are applied to such rates; and if she will provide details of how this information is used at departmental oversight level. [40181/26]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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1059. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla disaggregates re referral data to distinguish between new concerns and repeat or unresolved child protection risks; and if she will provide the proportion of re-referrals falling into each category in the most recent year for which data is available. [40182/26]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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1061. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether Tusla records the number of repeat emergency removals involving the same child or household; whether such events are tracked as safeguarding indicators or escalation triggers; and if she will provide data for each of the past five years. [40184/26]

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.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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1063. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether the Tusla Oversight Agreement explicitly includes provisions relating to repeat referrals, repeat interventions, emergency removals or reopened cases; and if she will provide copies or extracts of the relevant sections. [40186/26]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Tusla Oversight Agreement sets out the governance and accountability framework between the Department of Children, Disability and Equality and Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. It provides for structured engagement on matters including corporate governance, performance monitoring, financial management, audit, risk management and service delivery at an organisational level.

The Agreement does not prescribe or set out provisions in respect of specific operational matters such as repeat referrals, repeat interventions, emergency removals or the reopening of individual cases. These matters fall within Tusla’s statutory remit and operational responsibilities in delivering child protection and welfare services.

Accordingly, the Oversight Agreement does not contain specific sections addressing these issues in the manner described. However, they may arise, where relevant, in the context of broader discussions on service performance, risk and demand within Tusla’s child protection and welfare system.

I trust this information is useful.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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1064. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the extent to which repeat engagement with Tusla services, including re-referrals, repeat interventions, emergency removals and reopened social work cases, are monitored as key performance indicators, governance metrics or safeguarding indicators under the Tusla Oversight Agreement; whether any targets, thresholds or escalation procedures apply; and if she will provide a breakdown of all such data for each of the past five years. [40187/26]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Tusla Oversight Agreement sets out the governance and accountability framework between the Department of Children, Disability and Equality and Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. It provides for structured engagement on matters including corporate governance, performance monitoring, financial management, audit, risk management and service delivery at an organisational level.

The Agreement does not prescribe or set out provisions in respect of specific operational matters, such re-referrals, repeat interventions, emergency removals and reopened social work cases. These matters fall within Tusla’s statutory remit and operational responsibilities in delivering child protection and welfare services. You will appreciate that Tusla has statutory independence in the performance of its child welfare and child protection responsibilities. Accordingly it would be inappropriate for the Department to query decisions or act in a manner that interferes with this statutory independence.

Accordingly, the Oversight Agreement does not contain specific sections addressing these issues in the manner described. However, they may arise, where relevant, in the context of broader discussions on service performance, risk and demand within Tusla’s child protection and welfare system.