Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

If we put in more resources, based on the existing arrangements, then we will still have the nine to five service about which Deputies are complaining, and no out-of-hours service. We must reach agreement in order to make such a flexible service available.

In addition to the existing resource allocation, a further 50 social workers are being recruited at present, which will bring the numbers employed up to 768. We obviously need to agree arrangements to make an out-of-hours service available and do so within the current resource allocation. That should be possible.

I am simply making the point that the levels of activity suggest to me that a greater degree of flexibility and availability might be possible, in view of the resources available. We are investing €365 million per year, which equates to €1 million a day. That is not insignificant. That is quite apart from, quite rightly, paying the salaries of the people who are working in the area, who number 718.

We must allow the Minister of State to engage on that issue and come up with solutions to the types of situations raised by the Deputy. I do not see why that should be the case, given the level of resources being applied.

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