Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)

In response to the publication of the report of the independent child death review group, I reaffirmed my view on the importance of children in crisis, no matter where they are, having access to 24-hour social work assistance. I recently discussed this issue with Mr. Gordon Jeyes, national director for children and family services in the HSE. I expect the HSE to bring forward an implementation plan for the roll-out of a national service model later this year for implementation by the new child and family support agency.

The Health Service Executive already provides out-of-hours emergency services for children at risk in the greater Dublin area through the crisis intervention service - which I recently visited in Dublin - and outside the greater Dublin area through the emergency place of safety service. The crisis intervention service provides out-of-hours emergency social work assistance to young people aged under 18 years who are in crisis. That service operates across the greater Dublin area, including counties Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow. Referrals are made by service providers outside of normal working hours - that is, gardaí, hospital and ambulance service personnel.

Outside the greater Dublin area in 2009, the HSE established the emergency place of safety service whereby gardaí can access an emergency placement for children found to be at risk out of hours. This is a great improvement compared to the previous service. The current service involves the placement of a child in a family setting until the next working day, when the local social work service assumes responsibility for the case. As part of this service, gardaí have access to advice and information from a non-HSE social work off-site resource which is provided on a contract basis.

I pay tribute to the work of the Garda Síochána over the years in this area. Now is the time to support that work in having new procedures in place. In 2011, the HSE commenced two out-of-hours pilot projects, one in Donegal and the other in Cork. Both projects were evaluated by the HSE, which then commissioned an independent external assessment, undertaken by Trinity College, Dublin. On the last occasion, I was asked about this by Deputy McConalogue and said that the report was being undertaken. It has now been completed and presented to Mr. Gordon Jeyes. My Department has recently received a copy of the report whose findings will inform further decisions in the coming months on progression to a national out-of-hours service model.

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