Ms Colette Walsh:

We have a number of posts that we have processed and posts being processed in Manorhamilton. We do not count vacancies, but we do count posts processed in Manorhamilton. As of the end of May, 170 posts were being processed, of which 159 were being covered by agency staff. We have had discussions with IMPACT, with which the agreement is that we can regularise agency staff for an interim period of two years to consolidate the service and the agency. In that time we can do the work required to measure the level of pressure and evaluate the number of social workers required for the service in the future.