Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I disagree with the Minister on all 4,000 staff being interviewed for their positions in the new agency. We should learn from our mistakes. When the HSE was established and the health boards were abolished, practically 100% of the staff of the health boards moved directly across the HSE with no recognition of need or ensuring the appropriate skill set was in place. I appreciate it would be cumbersome and time-consuming, but it would also be the right thing to do to ensure the new agency starts with the appropriate staff from day one.

I welcome the fact the Minister is working hard on mentoring and the training programme. With regard to children ending up in detention, the Minister did not comment on whether she thought it was appropriate for a young teenager to end up in a public ward of one of our hospitals because at the time there was no place for him in an appropriate setting. This person, who was a danger to himself and the wider community, was placed in a hospital with sick and vulnerable children. The Minister spoke about the need for preventative care in such instances.

I submitted a question on social workers, and my colleague Senator van Turnhout held a briefing session for interested parties on the new child and family legislation. The Irish Association of Social Workers briefed us on the problems they see. It stated it was not aware the Minister had established a panel; that the staffing complement must fall below 80% before it can seek replacements; and that in one area in Dublin 300 at-risk children still live at home because no social workers are available to deal with the cases. We are falling down with regard to preventative care.