Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)

I repeat that there is a very clear plan in place. It has included the successful recruitment of the 60 social workers whom I have said would be recruited, resulting in a total of 270 social workers. The number was reflected in and required by the Ryan implementation plan. Some 260 of the 270 social workers have been recruited and are about to take up their positions. The Deputy seems to find this very hard to understand. The remaining 25 of the 60 have taken up their positions and the rest will do so. They have accepted their positions and will be in place.

The multidisciplinary team will be in place. It has been needed for many years and was never put in place. The team will be recruited this year. The budget is in place. There has been an increase of €21 million, as opposed to a decrease of €14 million under the previous Government, for work in child and family services. An extra 37 social workers are working in child and family protection. There is, therefore, a very comprehensive plan in place. There is a clear plan to collect the kind of data that were never collected over the past ten years. It is very difficult to plan if one does not collect the data and if one cannot compare what is happening in one part of the country with what is happening in another. All that work is under way. The data are being collected in a much more comprehensive way. This means we can plan the services more comprehensively and, therefore, meet the needs better.

I have maintained and increased the number of social workers and the budget in this area at a very difficult time in our economic history.

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