Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and I welcome the opportunity to respond to the debate on behalf of my colleague, Deputy Barry Andrews, the Minister of State with responsibility for children and youth affairs.

In all cases where there is a serious and immediate risk to the health or welfare of a child, the HSE responds immediately and takes appropriate action. All child abuse reports to social work departments are subject to a phased process of initial screening and assessment, aimed at providing appropriate interventions. Legislative mechanisms are in place which also allow for additional responses from the Garda.

Increases in resources for child care and family support services have continued in recent years. The HSE informed the Minister of State that a significant number of additional social work posts have been created since 2005 and funding of family support services has increased by 79%, from €45.7 million in 2003 to €81.8 million, in 2008. This reflects the commitment of the Government and the HSE to the ongoing implementation of the national children strategy and, most recently, the overarching policy of the Office of the Minister for Children and the agenda for children's services. The HSE has made significant advances in many areas of children's services. For example, a well managed national approach is in operation in regard to special care and high support, dealing with the most needy children in HSE care.

Developments in services provided through the HSE have, in more recent years, refocused on community-based family support sector targeting children and families at risk. In many cases this is done in partnership with non-governmental agencies where the focus is building capacity in vulnerable communities. This reflects the Government's policy of emphasising a preventive and supportive approach to child welfare. The shift in emphasis towards community-based services and the increase in the HSE's staff complement in respect of new service developments are to be welcomed in this regard. In addition, the inter-agency work promoted by the Office of the Minister for Children has led to improved co-operation in the delivery of children's services.

The HSE's budget for 2008 is €14.2 billion, an increase of 8% on 2007. Employment in the health sector must reflect the funding available and the HSE is responsible to live within the funding voted by the Oireachtas to deliver its service plan commitments. As regards employment control issues, the HSE has received ministerial approval for a revised ceiling of 110,600 for the end of 2007, with an additional 1,050 posts for new developments announced in budget 2008. Within this overall employment ceiling, it is the HSE's responsibility to deploy resources in line with priorities identified in its service plan. Total numbers employed at end March 2008 are 110,156 compared to the ceiling of 111,650. The temporary pause in recruitment, initiated as part of the HSE's financial break-even plan, ended on 31 December 2007. Posts vacant since 1 January 2008 can, therefore, be filled subject to the provisions of the HSE's employment control framework for 2008, which provides for an assessment of the vacancy by HSE area monitoring groups, the protection of employment in frontline services and the reconfiguration of employment to meet the primary objectives of integrated service delivery and a fundamental shift in the delivery of health and personal social services from the hospital sector to primary, community and continuing care. In this regard, 47 social worker vacancies are in the process of being filled by the HSE.

The HSE successfully intervenes with children and families at risk on a daily basis. There remains a concern that any diminution of public confidence in the child protection system, for any reason, could result in individuals being reluctant to report child protection concerns. There is an onus on us all to ensure this does not happen. In this regard, it is imperative everyone is aware of their own and the HSE's responsibility under Children First — the National Guidelines for the Protection and Welfare of Children. My colleague, the Minister of State and his office will continue to work with the HSE to monitor and review services for children and families and to ensure the available resources are applied to greatest effect, leading to improvements in child welfare and protection services.

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