Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Joe and his family were known to the Health Service Executive child and family services since he was a young child. There was a history of domestic violence and alcohol abuse in the family home. He had been listed by Tusla as a high priority case and, sadly, took his own life at the age of 15 years. Despite the fact that he had been identified as a high priority case, he had not been allocated a social worker because of staff shortages.

Dylan was in the care of the State after leaving the care of his mother who was struggling with a drug problem. He died just before his 17th birthday, with a high level of toxicity in his system. A recent review of the case by the national review panel found that issues with his welfare had been known about for long periods, that a succession of social workers had been involved but never for long enough to develop a relationship and that a child protection plan had been made but never implemented.

Avril's family background was described as being categorised by domestic violence, criminality and changes of accommodation. She had been out of contact with the social work department for nearly two years when she died, not fully 17 years old, with her case closed.

These cases, among others, were examined by the national review panel which found systemic failures by Tusla and the social services. In each instance it emphasised that no specific action or inaction by social workers had been responsible for the deaths but, it found time and again failures that could be attributed to a high turnover of social workers and pressures of work which had led to fire fighting. These cases underline a system that is broken and that stretches resources too thinly, including social workers who are doing their best but who are utterly overworked, exhausted and overwhelmed. Efforts to resolve the issue are falling far short. Tusla is losing 150 social workers a year. Despite efforts to recruit, the net increase in the number of the child and family social workers in 2016 was a mere 56. There are three times as many child and family social workers in the North per head of population as in the South. Best practice internationally suggests social workers should have a caseload of approximately 15, but I have come across social workers who are dealing with 26 and more and that is not to mention the unallocated cases, of which there are 5,720. Of these, there are 1,057 high priority cases. There are 1,000 Joes, 1,000 Avrils and 1,000 Dylans who are at risk as we debate the issue here. Does the Taoiseach accept that the social care system has been stretched to breaking point, that it has long been neglected and that is is a national scandal which requires urgent intervention by the Government?

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