Child and Family Agency
Dail Éireann — 2025-12-18
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Claire Kerrane (SF), Roscommon-Galway

I am glad to hear, and obviously the Minister has had it confirmed, that progress has been made in relation to the very serious findings not only in the initial inspection in April 2024 but also when HIQA went in well over a year later in June 2025 and things were not much improved at all. One example HIQA gave was a child with a disability who was non-verbal awaiting completion of a preliminary inquiry and safety planning for over two months. It reminded me, I have to say, of the Grace case - a non-verbal child with a disability waiting two months. Many other examples were given. There was an allegation of physical abuse by a parent against a child and they waited over four weeks. It was found the service was not safe, adequate or timely and where the screening for Tusla is supposed to be 24 hours, it was taking six months. I welcome if it is now two days. The likes of these cases really need to be checked on. We know the service also said things were done that were not done which was found when the inspection follow-up took place. I ask that a really close eye is kept on this.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-12-18/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:29+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-18