Research we in Aontú carried out in recent times found that over 200 children who are known to child protection services have died over the past ten years.

Some 42 children died while in State care and 164 children who were known to child protection services died. Half of the children who died while in State care died either by suicide or by drug overdose. Twelve children were murdered while known to child protection services over the past decade. During the same period, 62 children who were known to child protection services died by suspected suicide. God rest them all. I cannot think of anything more shocking, heartbreaking or tragic than a child committing suicide or a child being murdered, but to think that 12 children were murdered and 62 children took their own lives while under the eyes of the State is incredible. These were children with their full potential and full lives in front of them.

There is a massive crisis happening at present. Last year, 70,000 children were referred to Tusla. That is more than the number of children who started school last year. It is 4% of the population of children in this State, and these are being referred to Tusla every year. The number is increasing, no doubt due to many factors. Of course, the lockdowns over the last 20 months certainly did not help. We heard a powerful contribution last week from Deputy McGuinness regarding the Grace case and today we will discuss the mother and baby homes. I look forward to contributing to that debate to ensure that people and institutions are held to account for the suffering and deaths of vulnerable women and children in the care of the State in the past. It is very important that we get justice for people in the past. However, it is also critical that we have transparency and accountability today. What I have outlined is happening in the Tánaiste's time and under his watch. If we act now, we can have an impact on these lives. We can do something about this right now in real time.

These facts represent an enormous human tragedy. The issue of children being murdered while known to child protection services warrants a full, proper debate in this Chamber. What is being done to reduce the suicide and murder rates among children in State care or known to the child protection services of this country?

I thank the Deputy for raising the important issue of child protection. I realise that we will debate this in the House later and that we will continue to discuss it in the weeks and months ahead. I agree that we must do more to help every child to get the start in life to which the child is entitled. For many children that is very difficult because of the circumstances of their birth or the lack of family support. They just do not get the start in life that they deserve. We have a responsibility to try to make sure they do. It is really sad and tragic that 12 children who were under State care or known to the State were victims of murder. They are individual cases and, in some cases, they are complex, with complicated stories behind that. I know the Deputy is not trying to do this, but I do not believe it is fair to say that Tusla or the State was in some way responsible for that happening. However, we must do everything we can to ensure it does not happen.

The same applies to the very sad number of people in State care who died as a consequence of suicide. Ireland has seen suicide rates fall considerably in recent years. That is, in part, because of the additional investment in mental health, the fact that we have a national suicide prevention strategy that is working well, that we have a national office for suicide prevention and that we have been acting expeditiously in these areas. However, the points raised by the Deputy are valid and I know the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, will want to discuss them further.

First, many people who are working in child protection services are doing the best they can under the circumstances they are in, but there are things we can do to fix this. In the first place, there is a major correlation between economic and societal disadvantage and some of these outcomes. As a State, we must lift these communities out of poverty and strengthen those families. There are also specifics. For example, there are no emergency out-of-hours services in any part of the country outside Dublin for child protection. These crises typically do not happen during office hours. There are also major difficulties with getting mental health services to children who need them. There are Irish children who are currently going to Britain for psychiatric services because we do not have the capacity here. There are major problems with addiction services. There is no priority for children in care when it comes to addiction services. There are not enough homelessness services for children who are known to child protection services in this country. There are other issues. The Government has privatised part of the foster care services in the State and some of those outcomes have not been the best. Rather than there being an investigation into this crisis 50 years from now, can the Tánaiste commit to fixing at least the specifics I have raised today?

The Deputy is right in one of the fundamental points he made, that if we can reduce poverty and inequality in our society the number of these difficult issues that arise will be less. He will acknowledge that Ireland is a country in which poverty has been falling in the last five or six years, if not the last ten years. It is a country in which inequality has been narrowing. Some people try to deny that, but it is a fact and the Central Statistics Office's survey on income and living conditions, SILC, confirms that. I am proud to be a member of the Government that has overseen a reduction in poverty and a narrowing of inequality in Ireland over the last period. We want that to continue. We will continue it by pursuing both economic policies that generate wealth and social policies that reduce poverty and narrow inequality.

In terms of the services, I agree that we must invest more in services such as Tusla, homelessness services and others. It is good that we have a dedicated agency in Tusla. We did not have one previously as it was a matter that was left to the HSE. We must continue to invest in Tusla, as we are now and in the next couple of years.