Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)

I am very pleased to be able to tell the House that as provided for in the HSE's 2011 service plan, the recruitment of additional social workers is at a very advanced stage. The 60 posts have been cleared completely. The budget is in place and the latest information available from the HSE indicates that 53 additional posts have been filled or accepted. A further five posts are being offered to candidates this week and the rest will be filled very shortly afterwards. As the Deputy will see from the figures I have provided, this is a high priority.

I informed the House on previous occasions that the 60 additional social workers requested under the Ryan report implementation plan would be in place by the end of the year. I am now confirming that they will have been recruited by the HSE within that timeframe, which is very welcome. These additional workers will be targeted at priority areas of the service, having regard to the overall assessment of workload which is being undertaken by the national director of children and family services at the HSE, Gordon Jeyes, and his team. The recruitment of the additional social workers is one element of a broader change agenda within the executive which will enable us to deliver better outcomes for children and families. This reform agenda will involve the establishment of a new child and family support agency which will provide a dedicated focus on child protection, something we did not have in the past when child protection was part of the broader HSE remit.

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