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Tusla’s executive director said there was a “significant deficiency” and acknowledged that it was concerning that Tusla staff were not absolutely clear when alleged child abuse should be referred to the gardaí.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, Bernard Gloster said across the country, that in some parts of the children’s and families agency “there were varying interpretations of when a suspicion is reached. There were various delays as to when it can be filled out. forms and notifications, “but said that when all of that was put aside” there was a significant deficiency in that part of the child protection process. “
Gloster said this came to light after Tusla identified a reporting problem about a particular case in Co Kerry, prompting them to quickly conduct a review of all 16 Tusla centers across the rest of the country.
An audit found that 13% of cases of suspected abuse had not been referred to gardaí.
He said that when Tusla receives a referral regarding a child protection and welfare issue and if it is suspected that there is a basis to believe that abuse may have occurred, whether it be willful neglect, physical or sexual abuse, there is an obligation under the Act of Children First. legislation and other laws to inform that to the gardaí.
He said Tusla receives 56,000 such referrals a year.
Meanwhile, Gloster said there is “a very comprehensive program underway” after the agency’s data protection breach in August, but said that while he is working exceptionally hard, “they are far from it.”
The violation included the accidental disclosure of contact and location details of a mother and her son to an alleged abuser.
Mr. Gloster said that regardless of staffing and funding, “the basics of managing, respecting and protecting someone’s personal data is something that should be at the core of our practice.”
He said that between now and Christmas, “between 2,500 and 3,000 front-line staff members will be engaged in a supportive, constructive and instructive way” to give them the tools to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
In relation to children missing more than 20 days of school due to Covid-19 related measures, Mr. Gloster said that when schools inform them of a 20-day absence, but “when they say they are satisfied with that the assistance is well explained and well On the ground, Tusla has no interest in any kind of regulatory action in this regard. “
It said Tusla is the homeschool regulator and as of August 2019, they had 79 requests for homeschooling, compared to last month when they had 360 requests from parents to homeschool their children. .
He said this increase is “a reflection of the anxiety and concern that many parents rightfully have,” but he doesn’t think all of those apps will necessarily lead to homeschooled students.
He said that when parents notify Tusla and receive an acknowledgment, they can begin homeschooling, but it can take up to 16 weeks to complete the homeschooling record afterward.
He said parents are contacted about their proposed curriculum, will be asked about the materials they will use and the proposed design for their home school day.
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