Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

If applicants have a grievance with a social worker, how can they raise it? Whom could it be raised with? Could they raise it with the child care manager? People are nervous about doing that. If they come to an adoption committee that has been set up for the first time in statute, it will give them greater comfort and provides safeguards which do not apply when a matter must be raised with a child care manager. One must phone an office and say "I am not happy with my social worker and I want a new one". Based on my experience, this is not a satisfactory solution. We have a much better safeguard now if such difficulties arise: an adoption committee with a set of skills, including, possibly, that of a psychologist, and knowledge beyond that of a social worker. If the entire decision is left to a social worker who could be wet behind the ears - there is no guarantee that one's social worker will be experienced - that is the recommendation that then goes to the Adoption Authority. Is that a satisfactory situation? I do not believe so.

To deal directly with Deputy O'Sullivan's point about an accredited committee, the HSE continues to carry sole responsibility under the Child Care Act for the protection of children and therefore it would not be possible to circumvent entirely the HSE at the end of the accreditation process, even though it is being carried out by a body other than the HSE. It needs to come back to the HSE because it is its responsibility to decide whether a positive recommendation or otherwise should be given. That function cannot be given to an accredited agency.

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