Mr. Gerry Hone:

Unallocated cases are always a challenge for us in terms of the increased number of referrals and the increased demand on our services. After every HIQA inspection, which highlights deficits of unallocated cases, an action plan is put in place and support is taken from our HR department and quality and regulations, and we all get together to make sure a comprehensive plan is put in place to address the list. Our numbers are falling. We continue to struggle in areas around the Dublin area to get adequate numbers of staff into the service, but that too is improving. The numbers of social workers and social care workers are increasing. We are doing that through a series of initiatives through our HR service, which is very good about setting initiatives around apprenticeships in social work, bursaries for students to attend third level education, and we have a learning programme around social care that we are piloting. It is hoped that might lead to an apprenticeship programme in social care. That means our staffing numbers are improving and there is then a correlated reduction in the number of unallocated cases.

Our unallocated cases are monitored------