Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)

The HSE compiles a monthly census of employment in the public health and social care sector. The latest data available is in respect of December 2011. This shows that the total number of social workers employed in the HSE and in directly funded agencies at that time was 2,442 whole time equivalents.

The HSE made provision for the recruitment of an additional 62 social workers in 2011 and advised in December that all of these posts were either filled or accepted. I understand from the HSE that not all of the 2011 cohort of additional staff are reflected in the employment census as yet owing to the time lag between candidates being offered positions, taking up duty and appearing in the employment census returns.

The HSE national service plan for 2012, which was recently approved by the Minister for Health, includes provision for 3,142 whole time equivalent staff across the Children and Families Service, including social workers. This compares with a projected 2011 return of 3118 whole time equivalents.

The HSE national service plan sets out a range of reforms and performance measures to guide the improvement of child welfare and protection services. Other priorities in the 2012 service plan include delivery of consistent family support services and development of a national protocol on supervision orders; improving the collection of accurate data on services and on children in care, including procurement of the National Child Care Information System; establishing a national child protection register; developing consistent risk assessment and measurement tools; a greater focus on quality assurance and auditing of workloads; preparing and implementing a workforce development plan for child and family services; and continuing the implementation of national standards for pre-school services.

The Government has made additional budgeting provision for these services compared to the funding made available last year. This provides a further impetus to the comprehensive reform of service delivery which is underway and which is aimed at generating the best possible outcomes for vulnerable children and families. Extra funding has been made available, amounting to €21 million this year. There is a reform process under way and a very big job to be done delivering what is outlined in the HSE's service plan.

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