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

I acknowledge the Deputy's point. The age and gender profile of social workers mean that their numbers are constantly in flux. Recruitment is ongoing, however. The Deputy asked a valid question about maternity leave given that the workforce is young and largely female. One area in County Kildare recently had nine vacancies because of maternity leave. This issue probably also arises in other areas. I have asked that a panel be created in order to fill those positions on a temporary basis. Clearly that will have implications for other sectors, however, and I have entered discussions to determine whether the posts can be filled more rapidly. The vacancies puts considerable pressures on teams. Studies on the problem of retaining social workers have been carried out all over Europe. I recently attended a launch of one such study in UCD.

Very often we find inexperienced social workers working on the front line. To answer the question, it is not simply about filling vacancies, although that is extremely important. We have a complement which includes the 170 extra posts that were filled in line with the Ryan report. There has not been a delay and it has been done over the past two years. We have an ongoing issue with retention of staff. It is not just about the vacancies; it is about supporting staff and working with voluntary organisations. Much work is going on, and in reply to a later question I will discuss the work being done to train social workers, give them more support and have better management. The HIQA reports highlight other areas that need attention.

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