Mr. Gordon Jeyes:

Let me just reflect on that. I am in the same place as Ireland's children, and for them I will continue to speak out. There is a longer debate to be had on prioritisation. Issues arise in this regard. There are children in stable foster care arrangements and all the evidence shows that loving boundaries are set. This occurs continually. There are link workers and the foster family has an allocated social worker. We know every relevant child should have a social worker allocated. That is the regulation. There is a longer debate to be had on how the regulation could be more nuanced, but the regulation is as it stands. There has even been a slight dip in the figure, and it is openly reported to the Deputies in the appendix. The difficulty can arise in turnover through posts changing and maternity leave. Not all benefit from an allocation all the time. We are adding to that in that I expect all children in the child protection notification system – this might be even more important – to have a social worker allocated. In most areas, that is the case. We will publish that as a statistic in due course.
We need to rethink some of our practice, even in terms of regulation, as to how we work with children who are in relative or kinship care. It is an important relationship and an important service, but it is different. Perhaps we should not have the same sorts of rules.
We did press the pause button on aftercare arrangements to make sure that what we were proposing was fair and equitable and not just focused on those for whom third level was suitable. The latter get a good range of options, but there are others who need educational opportunities of a more practical nature, and we must support them. Equally, we must not become a proxy service for health, education or housing. Rather, we must advocate on behalf of young people to ensure they are getting access to the benefits and supports they deserve. Our role is to prop up the system and ensure it is fair. It is true there will be a ring-fenced budget and I expect consistent arrangements to be implemented by early 2015. The ring-fenced budget will be in the order of €16 million, and I expect to grow that.
There has been an increase in the number of social workers. The Deputy is quite right that there is fluctuation at present, but that is after the increase of 220 following the Ryan report. Looking back five or six years, there will have been an increase of approximately 300 social workers. It is a question of the multidisciplinary nature of the service and not just about social workers.
I do not know where the figure of 70% came from. At any given time there are approximately 160 of 1,200 posts vacant. Some 50% of those vacancies are filled by agency staff because the pressures are too great. That has decreased recently because 38 of the maternity posts are being filled through substantive contracts because this is more efficient. We welcome the agreement with the unions on that.
I cannot comment on the Ombudsman for Children's report. It is important. There are important historical and cultural issues to be considered. I could not possibly offer a view on the reference to the matter not being properly investigated and on where the difference came from. It seems that issues of a physical nature arise and, therefore, it may have cultural significance. We only received the report in draft to comment on it at the same time as it went to the press, so it is as difficult for us to comment at the moment as it is for the members. It is being examined and we will treat it with due seriousness.
On direct provision, we have child protection responsibilities and hold child protection inquiries, and there is currently a HIQA investigation into the matter. The improvements for unaccompanied asylum seekers, the majority of whom go to foster carers on being received in the country, are to Ireland's credit. These asylum seekers are dispersed throughout the country and receive a good service. Children who are received with their parents and who enter direct provision are, perhaps rightly, receiving attention. It is a matter for the Government and the Dáil because there can be no more important issue than how a country defines and defends its boundaries. We will play our part within that guidance.
I invite Ms Eibhlin Byrne to make some comments about guardians ad litem. Following that, Mr. Fred McBride will talk about prioritisation and the 9,000 cases, as reported.