James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

To ensure that people are very clear, notwithstanding statements made here and by the ISPCC, I must state all cases involving immediate risk are dealt with immediately. They would not be left over the weekend. If a child is at serious risk, the matter is dealt with. If a teacher is worried about a child in the morning, a social worker will have arrived by the afternoon. That is not to say there are not problems in the system and in respect of other priority cases at different levels of priority. It is not to say there are not substantial numbers of children who have an unallocated social worker. While Tusla is recruiting aggressively, this still remains an issue. It is for the Estimates process to deal with this problem by having a proper business plan put together to help us address it. Tusla received increased funding, as I pointed out in my initial answer, but there is no doubt that further resources will be required. There is a real need for the reorganisation of some of our services, as previous questions indicated, so we will be able to spend the money in the places where we can get the outcomes we need and so we will look after those most at risk in the first instance. However, I must remind the House that I am the Minister for all children and all youth affairs and that there is a broad remit involved, with many needs to be met and priorities to be recognised.

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