Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)

The report of the independent child death review panel highlighted the inadequacy of our social worker service and the fact that in many parts of the country there is no service outside the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. should it be required. There is no control over the timing of when such a service is required so there is an urgent need for the Minister to direct the HSE to take every step required to ensure that a 24 hour social worker service is established as a matter of absolute priority. The Minister indicated that the numbers are small in some cases, but it is crucial that in cases dealing with vulnerable children a social worker is available out of hours when required. There must not be any delays relating to evaluations. We know this is required and it is crucial that the Minister prioritises it. I realise this is difficult in a situation where there is pressure on social worker services, but could the Minister give a timeline for when we can expect to have a 24 hour service across the country?

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