Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

We heard the dreadful litany of abuse in the last day or two, with the release of the report on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse. We do not have that kind of abuse any more in schools or institutions because, thankfully, we have learned lessons and moved on.

However, with more than 6,400 children at risk without an allocated social worker, I must put to the Minister of State there is a danger that in future we will find the scandal of child abuse will be in family homes and other places where children live because there are not adequate resources for social workers. Does the Minister of State agree? The Sophia McColgan case is an example of where, if the powers that be do not intervene in families, we could have similar situations going on.

Will the Minister of State and the Government reconsider not having a proper out of hours social work service in place? The proposal under the Childcare Act that gardaí would move children into foster homes is not adequate. How can it be adequate? One listens to foster parents saying they do not have access to social workers whom they need. Putting children into foster homes who do not have access to social workers simply will not work. Will the Minister of State reconsider that decision?

In his reply, he referred to the fact that if children are at immediate or serious risk, there will be intervention. How does one know children are at immediate or serious risk if they do not have a social worker working with them?

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