Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. The challenge of reforming our child protection system and making it fit for purpose does not begin or end with the publication of the report. The challenge to ensure proper and appropriate services are delivered to vulnerable children must continue to be met daily. The report published yesterday relates to the period 2000 to March 2010. Since the latter date and May of this year, some 46 further children who were in the care of the State or who were known to the HSE have died. That number reflects those contained in the report. This illustrates the ongoing need for the HSE to ensure those children who are most vulnerable obtain the resources they require.

I welcome the Tánaiste's announcement this morning that a referendum on children's rights will be held before the end of the year. This referendum will ensure the voice of children will be key and that children themselves will be central to everything we do. I also welcome the proposals for reform. It is vital the establishment of an agency separate from the HSE leads to real and meaningful reform and to the integration of services in the area of child welfare. It is also important the Government should put the necessary resources into the system. This issue was highlighted by both authors of the report published yesterday who stated the system does not have the required resources and is overstretched. I accept reform is required but there is also a need to provide resources.

I ask the Department and the Government to reinstate the full exemption relating to the recruitment embargo that was in place. In addition, they should consider increasing the numbers of social workers and those employed in the area of mental health services in order that we might ensure services are delivered to children as they need them. In recent months, the number of children in care with assigned social workers has been in decline. We must put a stop to this and ensure that, as a basic right, every child in the care of the State has a social worker assigned to him or her. Those social workers will be able to look after those children's cases and ensure they obtain access to co-ordinated services and receive protection from the State.

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