Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Deputy's interest in this issue and the reason for it. I share his view of the vulnerability of young people leaving care. We had the figure in 2010 of 2,000 young people leaving care. There is no question that there have been developments since, although I am not complacent about the matter. I will have to come back to the Deputy on the number of aftercare staff who have been recruited, but it is my understanding the recruitment did go ahead. I will confirm this for the Deputy.

There is now a national policy on aftercare, as the Deputy knows, and there has also been the very positive development of the establishment of the intra-agency national aftercare implementation group, of which EPIC, the group which works with young people to ensure their perspectives are taken into account, is part. The HSE has issued a directive that young people due to leave care be assessed.

I also said I would examine the legislation. When I bring forward the legislation to establish the new agency, I hope to bring forward within it a more explicit statement of the HSE's obligation in regard to aftercare. As the Deputy knows, my advice from the Attorney General, as well as my legal advice, has been that there is already a statutory obligation, but I will make it more explicit in view of the seriousness and importance of the issue. I expect to be able to include this in the legislation establishing the new agency in order that it will be very clear that it has the responsibility I will revert to the Deputy with the figures sought.

See this speech in context