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 are in respect of March, 2012. They show the total number of social workers employed in the HSE and in directly funded agencies was 2,397 whole-time equivalents, WTEs. The equivalent figure at the end of 2010 was 2,432 WTEs. It is important to note these figures apply to all social workers employed by the HSE, and by a range of other public and publicly funded bodies, to fulfil a range of roles, some of which fall outside the child welfare and protection services. For example, social workers are employed in hospitals to assist patients and families with the social aspects of their illness, in the mental health services, in primary care and in relation to older people.

The employment census also provides a breakdown of staffing levels by care group. In the case of social workers employed in the children and family area, the figures indicate there were 1,183 WTEs employed at the end of 2010 and 1,197 WTEs at the end of March 2012. That shows an increase of 14 WTEs since the 31 December 2010. It should be noted the classification by care group is viewed by the HSE and the Department as provisional and is subject to ongoing revision and refinement as part of the process of disaggregating the children and family resource base from the HSE prior to the establishment of the new children and family support agency.

The latest available information from the HSE indicates that 31 social work staff in the child and family services area availed of the recent early retirement scheme. Other vacancies have also arisen, as they would in the normal course of events. The national director of children and families services, Mr. Gordon Jeyes, will apply his discretion over the course of the year to the filling of vacancies, having regard to identified need and subject to services being delivered within available resources. I can advise the Deputy the HSE has informed me it has approved the recruitment of 57 replacement social worker staff across all care group areas since January 2012. These posts are at various stages of recruitment. While vacancies will always arise and will need to be filled, the overall trend is clear. The number of social workers employed in child and family services is increasing.

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