Mark Ward: TUSLA failures left child sleeping in car park
Mark Ward addresses the Dáil after the RTE Investigates documentary exposed failures in Tuisla that left a young man, Max, sleeping in an underground car park. He warns that unregulated Special Emergency Arrangements (SEAs) and private placements are putting children at risk and demands government accountability.
Summary of the evidence
Mark Ward summarises the RTE report and recounts Max's story: a young person who left the care system last October after spending almost his whole life in TUSLA and who has been forced to sleep in a car park. He argues this case is emblematic of systemic failure in the Child and Family Agency Tuisla.
How Special Emergency Arrangements work
Ward outlines how, when TUSLA has no beds, placements are outsourced to private operators under Special Emergency Arrangements (SEAs). These placements include rented apartments, B&Bs, hotels and houses that he describes as unregulated and not open to independent inspections.
Scale and judicial concern
He cites the scale of the problem: 1,100 children placed into unregulated SEAs last year, an increase of 675 from 2023, and 56 children under 12 placed in such settings. He notes judges have raised concerns and references Judge Conor Fortrell's criticism of profiteering by private operators.
Accountability and consequences
Ward calls on government to take responsibility for a system that pays millions to private operators and leaves vulnerable children exposed. He frames Max as a product of a failed care system and urges immediate reform and oversight of TUSLA placements.
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Thank you Cathaoirleach. I want to thank Deputy Gogerty for the opportunity to talk about child welfare and particularly in relation to Tuisla. We've all seen the harrowing documentary RTE Investigates last week in relation to the failures of Tuisla to protect some of our most vulnerable children. I want to commend the makers of this program for an excellent piece of journalism and in this documentary we got to meet Max. Max was sleeping in an underground car park in the Child and Family Agency Tuisla in Nais in County Kildare. Max left the care system last October after spending almost his entire life in Tuisla. Now he is sleeping in one of the underground car parks. This is not right. Max is a product of a failed care system. When Tuisla has no beds available they outsource the placements of children to private companies under what is known as Special Emergency Arrangements or SEAs. These arrangements mean that children are accommodating in care facilities provided by private operators including rented apartments, B&Bs, hotels and houses. These are unregulated Minister and they are not open to independent inspections. I've worked with vulnerable children in a previous job and I've constantly raised these concerns in relation to these unregulated settings and particularly in relation to not being investigated and looked into. But Minister Max's story is not unique. Right at this moment last year we had 1,100 children in Tuisla's care were placed into these unregulated Special Emergency Arrangements. This is an increase of 675 children who were placed in these settings in 2023. Last year 56 children under the age of 12 were placed into these unregulated Special Emergency Arrangements. I don't know how this has been allowed to happen. This is despite concerns of some judges who have ordered that children not be placed into these unregulated settings. Last month we even had Judge Conor Fortrell severely criticising the profiteering by private operators providing unregulated placements for our most vulnerable children. Describing it as wrong, describing it as shameful and I agree wholeheartedly. The government are actually paying millions to these private operators to keep this system going and it's time government took full responsibility for their actions.
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