2899. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of the more than 40,000 child wellbeing checks ordered following the death of a child (details supplied) that have been completed to date; the additional social work and administrative resources assigned to Tusla to complete them; whether the completion date of Autumn 2026 indicated by the chief executive of Tusla on 16 July 2026 will be met; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57411/26]

The final report of the Project’s Steering Group was scheduled for publication in July 2026, allowing time for a robust, rights-based review, including a full Child Rights Impact Assessment by Bruce Adamson, former Scottish Children and Youth Commissioner and former Chair of the European Network of Ombudspersons for Children, currently a Professor at the University of Glasgow and expert in children’s rights law. In addition, a consultation with the Empowering People in Care (EPIC) Youth Council is scheduled to take place in August 2026.

The project has now been split into two phases, with Phase 1 nearly completed and Phase 2 underway. I have asked the Independent Chair and Steering Group to oversee the both phases of the project.  Both Phase 1 and Phase 2 Reports will be published together when Phase 2 has been completed in Autumn 2026. The timeframe has been extended to allow for Phase 2 (preliminary social work enquiries) to be completed in a robust, sensitive and comprehensive manner.

The first phase is data led and is centred around ensuring that children are known to a state service or state funded service, with a mandated person under Children First present. An initial review was carried out by Tusla – the Child and Family Agency. 76,546 children had referrals closed between 1st March 2020 and 28th February 2022. Approximately 42,000 cases had no new referrals or ongoing engagement with Tusla since the lockdown period. There is no legal basis for Tusla to conduct a Wellbeing Check on a young person over the age of 18. On this basis 19,570 cases are currently outside the scope of the project. A number of children have also been rereferred to Tusla since September 2025.

Data points from remaining cases were shared with the Department of Education and Youth to allow them to check these children against school enrolment data. Following this process, when the child was not known to the school system, further checks were carried out with the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, Department of Further and Higher Education and others as required. These checks have assisted Tusla in assuring the wellbeing of these children.  Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) and Tusla’s Alternative Education Assessment and Registration Service (AEARS) provided checks confirming the engagement of children in school and /or in alternative education settings, including home schooling and non-recognised schools.

Under Phase 2, for children where the Wellbeing check via administrative data could not be completed in Phase 1, and who remain in scope of the project and where there are reasonable grounds for concern arising for any child subject to the wellbeing check, in line with Children First, those children are currently being allocated to a dedicated team in Tusla’s Social Work service for preliminary enquiry. The outcome of the preliminary enquiry may close the case or Tusla may continue to engage with the child and their family as required. This work has commenced and will continue over the summer months.

The Department allocated €3.2m to Tusla to complete the project.  To assist with the roll out of the project, Tusla onboarded additional staff last March which assisted with processing of data under Phase 1 of the project.  Tusla has advised that the project has been undertaken with minimal impact to the delivery of front-line child welfare and protection services.