942. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she has visited any special emergency arrangements; if not, if she plans to; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37833/26]

I am scheduled to visit a Special Emergency Arrangements (SEA) setting next week as part of extensive and ongoing engagement with a variety of Tusla services.

Each SEA has a full time rostered Social Care worker and a health care assistant on site at all times. This is supplemented by weekly visits from Tusla social work to have their voice heard and check on the care being provided.

Both Tusla and I as Minister share a common aim to meet the needs of all children in mainstream alternative care placements, and to reduce Tusla's operation of Special Emergency Arrangements (SEAs), which is being supported by the Department of Children to improve the availability of placements and expand capacity across its network. Efforts are made to move the young people from special emergency arrangements to regulated settings as soon as possible, once alternative placements become available.

As part of the process of reducing reliance on SEAs, Tusla has advised that its Alternative Care Inspection and Monitoring Service (ACIMS) has met with each SEA provider to support transition of these providers to registered regulated services.

In the interim, specific measures have and are being taken by Tusla to promote and support the quality and safety of SEA placements.

HIQA carries out announced and unannounced inspections of statutory Children’s Residential Centres. HIQA carries out these inspections against the identified Regulations and Standards. Tusla is the statutory regulator of Private and Voluntary Children’s Residential Centres, and is therefore responsible for the registration and inspection of these centres in accordance with the relevant regulations, standards, and the provisions of the Child Care Act 1991.