Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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241. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide a breakdown of children currently missing in Ireland, by the total number, the year they went missing and whether or not they were under the care of the State (Tusla) at the time. [24506/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The care and welfare of children in care is a priority for the Department and this is continuously reviewed with Tusla. The Department continue to keep the issue of safeguarding all children in the care of the state as a top priority.

The Department receive fortnightly reports for all children and young people missing in care from Tusla. These reports include children receiving mainstream care and those children who are referred to Tusla's dedicated separated Children seeking International Protection team (SCSIP) that include separated children and unaccompanied minors. Below is a breakdown of the two cohorts of children missing in care.

Mainstream care children in the care of Tusla

The latest data provided by Tusla, as of the 9th May 2024, states that there are eleven children missing from ‘mainstream’ care (i.e. not in the service for separated children seeking international protection). Of these eleven children, seven had been missing for between one and three days, while four had been missing for between three and seven days. None had been missing for a longer period.

Separated Children/Unaccompanied Minors

The latest data provided by Tusla as of the 9th of May 2024, states that there are twenty three children in the Separated Children Seeking International Protection service remain missing from care. Of these one child is missing since 2022, thirteen from 2023 and nine to date in 2024.

The Deputy should note that information related to the number of children not in the care of the State who are missing is a matter for the Department of Justice.