Politics

Use of private emergency accommodation for children in care should be re-examined, says Martin

Tánaiste tells Dáil it would take ‘considerable length of time’ to develop new capacity

Micheál Martin was responding to People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny, who said there had been 'startling stories' about emergency accommodation for young people in care in recent weeks. Photograph: Stephen Collins/Collins

Sarah Burns
Thu Mar 7 2024 - 14:32

The current model of using private providers to run emergency accommodation for children in State care should be examined, Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said.

He told the Dáil on Thursday he did favour the idea of a stronger State involvement in providing such care, and said a “very alarming situation” had arisen at a private provider.

However, Mr Martin said there should be “no illusion” that it would take “a considerable length of time” to develop both the physical capacity and multidisciplinary capacities that would be required.

The Fianna Fáil leader was responding to People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny, who said there had been “startling stories” about emergency accommodation for young people in care in recent weeks.

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The Irish Times revealed last month that Tusla, the child and family agency, stopped placing children in care into emergency accommodation run by Ideal Care Services, after it identified serious concerns with the company.

It was deemed to have put young people at risk by failing to carry out proper background checks on staff, having “fabricated” pre-employment screenings and altered Garda vetting files.

Ideal Care, which is owned and run by Jossy Akwuobi (45) from Tyrrelstown, Dublin, was paid nearly €9 million by Tusla in the past two years, before the agency cut ties with the company. An internal July 2023 report said the standard of checks carried out on prospective care staff were “grossly inadequate to safeguard vulnerable young people”.

Ten private companies were paid €58 million between them to run emergency accommodation for children in State care in 2023, according to Tusla. One company was paid nearly €13 million to accommodate children taken into State care in unregulated placements, known as special emergency arrangements.

More than 180 vulnerable children are living in these emergency arrangements, which are often in bed and breakfasts or rental properties run by care staff from private companies.

Mr Kenny said it was time to re-examine the current model and asked why should services be outsourced and could the HSE or Department of Health not run them instead.

In response, Mr Martin said there was an investigation under way in relation to Ideal Care Services and added the current model should be examined.

“I think we should be under no illusion that it would take a considerable length of time to develop both the physical capacity and multidisciplinary capacities that would be required to deal with vulnerable children,” he said.

“But I think on balance, I do favour the idea of a stronger State involvement than just merely privately outsourcing.

“It doesn’t mean that all privately outsourced facilities are bad or poor but certainly a very alarming situation and issue has arisen so we do need to examine the model.”

Sarah Burns

Sarah Burns

Sarah Burns is a reporter for The Irish Times

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