Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 13: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if the Health Service Executive has submitted to her a report for the first quarter of 2008 pursuant to the HSE national service plan which requires the provision of performance indicators for each HSE region on the number of notifications of child abuse or neglect received, the number of assessments conducted following notifications, the number of children on waiting lists for assessments following notification of child abuse or neglect and the average time spent on a waiting list for assessment following notification of child abuse or neglect; if she will provide detailed information on these matters received by her in respect of each HSE region; the initiative she proposes taking with regard to the number of children on waiting lists for assessments; and the average waiting time spent on such lists following notification of child abuse or neglect. [14413/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I have been informed by the Health Service Executive that its 2008 national service plan commits it to developing from the end of the second quarter of this year a means of collecting information on the following for each administrative area: the number of notifications made of child abuse or neglect, the number of assessments conducted following notifications, the number of children on waiting lists for assessments following notification of child abuse or neglect and the average time spent on a waiting list for assessment following notification of child abuse or neglect. Reporting against this information will be based on the phased implementation of standardised business processes through the child care information system project.

Since the inception of the Office of the Minister for Children, there has been a significant build up in both the flow and quality of management information available. Key components of this information management include the analysis of the child care interim data set prepared annually by the HSE and the regular service plan monitoring reports submitted to the Department of Health and Children. The further development of this information strategy is set to continue with the completion of the joint Office of the Minister for Children and HSE knowledge management policy and its subsequent implementation plan. This implementation will include a pilot scheme which will integrate the children service data sets with other relevant HSE data sets.

All of these initiatives, if accompanied by planned commentary and analysis, will allow for much enhanced management of children's services by cross-referencing a series of relevant data and research sources via the shared health atlas tool. It is anticipated that this capacity will begin to be available to HSE and Office of the Minister for Children policy makers, managers and frontline staff in 2009 in line with the requirements and approach of the Office of the Minister for Children developed agenda of children services, the overarching policy for children services in Ireland.

The Office of the Minister for Children meets regularly with the HSE to monitor such service provision and policy related issues. These meetings are an integral part of the response to the issues raised by Deputy Shatter in the context of the overarching policy, the agenda for children's services, which I launched in December 2007.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I am trying to digest all of this. I wish to ask the Minister of State an extraordinarily simple question. How many children reported to the HSE throughout the country's various sub-regions as being at risk of neglect or abuse are awaiting assessment at present?

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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As Deputy Shatter knows, reports were made available for 2005. We have preliminary data for 2006 which has not been analysed. With regard to the performance indicators to which the Deputy referred, the January report has come to the Department as has the February report. We await the March report and expect to have it within the next two weeks. When we have this, it will enable us to provide a quarterly report. I asked the HSE to ensure that as soon as it has analysed its March data to forward it to Deputy Shatter.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister of State confirm that the HSE has a statutory obligation under the Child Care Act 1991 to publish an annual report relating to child welfare services? Will he also confirm that the HSE is in breach of this in that it took until the end of February 2008 to produce a report for 2005? The Minister of State does not have a report for 2006 or 2007.

Am I right in understanding that the Department has absolutely no idea how many children were reported to the HSE during 2006 or 2007 as being at risk? The Minister of State does not know the average waiting times before children at risk are assessed. He does not know how many children are at risk at present because they are on a waiting list. He does not know how many children are being abused having been reported as being at risk six or 12 months ago.

Will the Minister of State also confirm that in reply to a Dáil question which I tabled on 31 January 2008 seeking this information I was promised a response from the HSE containing the information? It has been incapable of producing this in four months. Will he also confirm that in a reply in early April he informed me he would have in his Department the quarterly figures? He still does not have them. Will the Minister of State explain in what way he suggests his Department can function in the absence of any detailed information of any nature whatsoever which is up-to-date and current concerning the manner in which our child protection services are working?

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I am anxious that we have the up-to-date information available as soon as possible. As Deputy Shatter knows, the first year for which the HSE——

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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It is a disgrace. The whole thing is a disgrace.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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——had responsibility for this report was 2005. This report was completed.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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It was completed in February 2008.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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It was completed prior to that.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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It was not published until February 2008.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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That is different.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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It languished in the Department from July 2007.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Just one second, Deputy Shatter. The scheduling and publication of the report is a matter for the HSE. It is not a matter for the Office of the Minister for Children.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Did the Minister of State discover why it took it three years to publish it?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Deputy Shatter must allow the Minister of State to provide him with a reply without interruption.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The HSE completed its report for 2005 in 2007. The report for 2006 is nearing completion. I am informed by the HSE that the report on 2007 will be completed in the summer of this year. We want a more timely publication of reports. We want the information to be more accessible and a better quality report. I stated the reports in respect of January and February of this year have been made available. The March report will be completed within the next two weeks and this will provide us with the quarterly report. We are developing a new system whereby the information available will be put to the best possible use to ensure the best possible outcomes for children. The HSE informed me it was prioritising the——

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State does not know how many children are not being investigated having been reported as being at risk.

Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Shatter should allow the Minister of State to speak.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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There is no point having a constitutional referendum as window dressing if the Department does not have this basic information.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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We are not involved in any window dressing.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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If I can interrupt the Minister of State for a moment——

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I already told Deputy Shatter, if he had listened——

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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If Deputy Shatter wishes to obtain an answer to his question it would be useful if he would allow the Minister of State to conclude his reply.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I appreciate what the Leas-Cheann Comhairle is saying but we have learned enough about children at risk who have been abused in this country——

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Deputy Shatter, I have not finished speaking.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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It is an absolute disgrace that we have a Department that is masquerading as knowing what is going on in this area.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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If the Deputy would allow the Chair to speak——

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Department does not have a clue what is going on.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Deputy Shatter must resume his seat.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I will not accept Deputy Shatter's use of the word "masquerading".

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I will allow the Minister of State to conclude his contribution. However, both Deputies must observe the direction of the Chair. This is a parliamentary House of debate. Debate means listening as well as speaking.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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That is true.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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If questions are asked, Deputies must allow the Minister charged with giving an answer to give that answer uninterrupted.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I have been since the beginning of January trying to get specific information. I am aggrieved it is not available.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Deputy Shatter has put his question. We will move on to Other Questions unless there is no further interruption from Deputy Shatter. The Minister of State to respond without interruption, please.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The HSE has informed me that the delay in preparing the 2005 report was due to the prioritisation of a service delivery mechanism as it was a relatively new body. Previously, reports were produced by individual health boards. The HSE on its establishment developed a template for a national reporting procedure. As I stated, preliminary data for 2006 has been supplied to the Department but it has not yet been analysed. I will ask the HSE to send preliminary data in respect of 2006 to Deputy Shatter. The full report in respect of 2006 should be finalised soon. The 2007 report will be finalised during the summer.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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How can policy decisions be made without this information?