Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Ó Caoláin for his question. I agree with him on the need for young people to continue to receive help. The Deputy might perhaps be reassured by some of the following information. A review of numbers was carried out by an external consultant. The audit date for this data was March 2011. I am informed that in March 2011 a total of 1,051 young people nationally were in receipt of aftercare. The breakdown in this regard between males and females was 46% and 54% respectively. I am also informed that the number of young people who received aftercare in 2008 and 2009 was 979 and 947 respectively. This data may however relate to young people who left care not only in the years stated but at an earlier stage. It appears from those figures that the HSE is using section 45 to assess the needs of young children leaving care and is taking a view in regard to their need for assistance. I will get the figures for this year for the Deputy. I expect that the new system for data collection will include the type of data sought today by the Deputy.

I am shocked given it is easily accessible that it is not available today. I have asked my officials to get from the four districts the data in regard to the number of children leaving care this year. This will then give us a picture of what percentage of children leaving State care are actually receiving aftercare or are being assessed as in need of it.

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