Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

I wish to raise the serious concerns surrounding the report produced last weekend regarding deficiencies in the foster care service in the Cork region.

In 2009, HIQA announced it would inspect foster care services in four local areas in the HSE region, covering Cork city and county, north Lee and south Lee and north Cork and west Cork. These four areas were selected because they share a managerial operation for the provision of foster care. We have heard a lot in the media about children who are vulnerable and need a lot of care. We need to know the services of the State are there to ensure their protection. I acknowledge the report states that where services have been in contact with children, the results and outcomes are positive. The results and outcomes are good. The links with foster parents are there but there are serious deficiencies and gaps in the services. From reading the report, it would appear that most of these gaps come about as a result of inadequate staff provision in terms of those working directly with children and those supervising the staff. The report examined a sample of 48 children. In September last year, 690 children were placed with 452 foster carers in these areas. Some 36%, or 249, were placed with relative foster carers or family members and the balance, 64%, were placed with non-relatives.

There are some alarming facts in the report. At the beginning, HIQA was told that all children had been assigned a social worker. However, during the inspection fieldwork it became evident to inspectors that all children in care did not have an assigned social worker and that the non-allocation of social workers related to vacant social worker posts. This is particularly evident in the city areas of the north and south Lee of Cork city. Some 452 carers were approved as carers and 48 of those had not been assessed by a link social worker. Of the carers who had been officially approved, approximately 50 of them had not been properly assessed to ensure their suitability as carers.

Of the 43 children who were inspected in the sample group, 28% did not have a care plan and social workers had not visited approximately 33% of them for several years. These are very vulnerable children and we entrust their care to the HSE. It is responsible for their care, safeguarding their protection and ensuring that the correct governance and management structures are in place. There are numerous recommendations in the report. Many of them could be delivered if there was adequate staffing in the region. Does the embargo currently in place relate to those staffing posts?

I commend HIQA on the report which has shone a light on the inadequacies in foster care services in this region. I am sure we have come across the issue before and that it exists on a national basis, but I am particularly concerned with the results and outcome of the inspection into the Cork region.

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