Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)

It is unfortunate that the previous Government neglected special care. There is a great deal of work to be done to address the deficits I have inherited; that is the reality. I am determined to address the deficits, however, because the needy group of young people in question deserves the very best the State can offer.

A recommendation was made to close the unit in Ballydowd. I visited the unit and the decision was reversed. Considerable improvements have been made in the unit, which currently has nine children. HIQA has inspected it recently and this will result in many improvements and good standards.

Gleann Álainn has five children. Therefore, 14 children are in the care of the State. That is the maximum number of places at present. We need approximately 34 places. There will be another five when Coovagh House reopens in January 2012. While there should not be a waiting list for special care, there is. This cannot be dealt with overnight.

A number of children are abroad in care placements. The number supplied to the Deputy previously, 31, is incorrect. The correct number, which I gave to the Deputy, was 15. This has risen to 17. Of those, eight are in a secure care placement under court order. The rest are in need of care.

The shortage of places in Ireland must be addressed, and I have outlined how this will be done. Some of the children in question require very specialist placement. We simply do not have the sorts of therapeutic inpatient units that some of the children need given their range of sexual, behavioural and developmental problems. This is being dealt with.

It is reported that many of the children are doing extremely well in their placements. Eight of the 17 children abroad are in secure care placements and the others are in care placements. The total is 17, not 31. There are 14 places in Ireland at present but there is a need for approximately 34. An assessment has been carried out and there is a national plan to move towards 34 places. I am working on that and will be paying special attention to ensuring we have those places for children in Ireland. There will probably be a need for some placements in the near future for children with very specialist needs whom we simply do not have the resources to cater for.

Unfortunately, over the past ten years of the Celtic tiger, inpatient facilities were not made available for young people with mental health difficulties. They should have been. We are witnessing the deficit in this area and it affects children negatively.

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