Child and Family Agency
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-19
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Mark Wall (LAB), Kildare South

I thank the Minister. She mentioned that we would all strive for State-led accommodation. The money being spent on special emergency arrangements surely could be spent on State-led accommodation, whereby regulations would be reviewed more than regularly. My concern is over what “reviewed regularly” means. Is it monthly or weekly? My concern is shared by the Ombudsman for Children and many people I deal with. Have Tusla and the Department plans to move away once and for all from emergency accommodation provided by private operators and to use the money to build fit-for-purpose accommodation for those children who need it most? She might confirm what “reviewed regularly” means because we have had concerns. We have noted these concerns in the media and The Journal has reported very recently on its concern about children facing criminal damages in private accommodation. It is not on. We need to build State accommodation. I ask the Minister to confirm whether this is the plan of her Department.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-19/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:40+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-19