Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

If the Minister compares the turnover of social workers with other health professionals such as nurses, it is quite high. One social worker recently said:

I started to feel that instead of helping these children and families I was now part of a system that was causing them further harm and stress. Every social worker I speak to has an exit strategy because it is impossible. It is not something you can stay in beyond a certain length of time.

Tomorrow, the House will debate the mother and baby homes issue and how we as a society and the State failed vulnerable people in the past. Today, we are standing over a system that was designed to help and support vulnerable families but which is failing them miserably. The Irish Association of Social Workers recently said:

It is widely acknowledged that the current numbers of social workers employed by Tusla is 30% below the recommended levels. This is causing Tusla to become a reactionary and crisis-driven service, with children at risk and their families receiving only a minimal service or no service at all, resulting in poorer outcomes for children.

That is what the new agency, Tusla, is doing today.

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