Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)

In line with the programme for Government I am committed to delivering on the Ryan report implementation plan. Earlier this year I personally took over the chair of the Ryan report implementation group and I laid the second annual progress report before the Houses of the Oireachtas in July. While there are significant financial pressures on child and family services, my Department is nonetheless seeking to prioritise implementation of the Ryan report recommendations both this year and in our planning for next year.

The Ryan report implementation plan committed to the recruitment of an additional 270 social workers. Some 200 of these new posts were in place by the end of 2010. The HSE national service plan includes financial provision for the recruitment of a further 60 social workers this year. I have been assured by the HSE that it plans to have these additional staff in place by the end of the year. While the HSE introduced a recruitment pause across all categories of staff over the month of August owing to its adverse financial position, the HSE has prioritised the filling of certain key development posts and decided to process the recruitment of these staff with a view to their taking up employment by year end. This includes the recruitment of the additional social workers. My Department will continue to monitor closely the position with regard to the recruitment of the additional personnel.

The additional social workers will be targeted at priority areas across the system having regard to an overall assessment of workload undertaken by the national director and his team. The recruitment of the additional social workers is one element of a wider change agenda within the HSE, through which I believe we can deliver better outcomes for children and families. This reform agenda will lead to the establishment of a new child and family support agency which will provide a dedicated focus on child protection and support families in need.

This change agenda seeks to deliver the best outcomes for children and families through achieving a service delivery model that will address a multiagency approach to managing the child welfare and protection system, which is so important; a nationwide consistency of approach in practice and implementation of Children First, and child welfare and protection services generally-----

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

-----use of standardised definitions, criteria and thresholds for reporting and referrals including prioritisation of cases; the recent launch of a child welfare and protection handbook for HSE staff and the commencement of training courses for staff, including joint-training with gardaí; greater reliance on real-time data on social work referrals and alternative care collated through HSE performance management indicators and the ongoing development of the national child care information system; improved resource allocation responsive to changing needs; and clearer management and budgetary accountability.

This reform agenda will lead to a new child and family support agency which will provide the dedicated focus on child protection. The implementation of these reforms will allow for the best possible services to be delivered within the resources available.

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