Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 22: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps she will take to meet her target for 100 per cent of children in care to be allocated a social worker and to have a care plan; the current percentage and number of children without an allocated social worker or care plan; if those children are in foster or institutional care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19979/11]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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One of the principal commitments in the implementation plan prepared following the publication of the report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse is the need to ensure that all children in care have an allocated social worker and a care plan. This initiative is designed to target resources at front line services in order to ensure that the HSE can fulfil its statutory obligations. An additional 200 social workers were recruited in 2010 and the HSE has been given approval to recruit a further 60 social workers in 2011. The remaining ten posts will be filled thereafter. The necessary finance has been provided and the filling of these posts has been exempted from the public service moratorium on recruitment and replacement of staff.

The latest available information from the HSE indicates that the number of children in care nationally at the end of April 2011 was 6,122. Of those children, 5,441 - 90% - had a written care plan in place. This represents a significant improvement on the position in mid-2010 when 82% of children in care had a written care plan. The breakdown by care type nationally of children in care who had a written care plan in place was as follows: those in residential care, 93.3%; foster care, 89.4%; foster care with relatives, 87.3%; and other care types - for example, at home under care order - 88.9%. Therefore, approximately 90% of children in all sorts of settings had written care plans in place.

The HSE further reported that nationally, 94.6% of all children in care had an allocated social worker. Again, this represents a significant improvement on the position in mid-2010 when 86.5% of children in care had an allocated social worker. The breakdown by care type nationally in respect of children with allocated social workers is as follows: those in residential care, 96.7%; foster care, 95.3%; foster care with relatives, 92.5%; and other care types - for example, at home under care order - 95.8%. It is obvious that 100% of children in care do not have allocated social workers. However, that is the target. It would be difficult to achieve it, particularly with, for example, children moving in and out of emergency care. Allocated social workers may not be immediately available so to actually reach 100% could prove quite difficult. We do, however, want every child in care to have an allocated social worker.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for her reply. As she outlined, the previous Government provided funding for the employment - despite the existence of the recruitment ban - of 270 social workers and in respect of additional posts to deliver assessments and therapeutic services for children in special care units and in detention. As the Minister indicated, 60 of those 270 social workers are currently in the process of being appointed. Is she satisfied that these individuals - who are being appointed in line with the recommendations contained in the Ryan report - will prove sufficient in the context of dealing with the problems which currently exist in the system as a result of a lack of social workers? Since she came to office has the Minister carried out an assessment in respect of whether the number of social workers being appointed will prove to be adequate?

A recent HIQA report on services in the Dublin north-west area indicates that one third of children there do not have allocated social workers. In addition, a significant number of foster families in the area to which I refer have not been assessed. It is critical that we provide the resources to ensure those gaps are filled. The Ryan report made a recommendation for 270 social workers for which the funding has been provided and is available. Therefore, the Minister could put the last 70 of these in place. Has she assessed whether that will be enough? If she has made that assessment, how many more will be required and will she put the funding in place to deliver them?

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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What is critical is that we ensure the 270 are in place and that they begin their work. I am in ongoing discussions with the director for children and family services in the HSE. The Deputy mentioned a particular area in Dublin north west, where there are some difficulties. As can be seen from the figures I have provided, a care plan is in place and a social worker is allocated for a high proportion of children in care.

It is important to recognise that progress has been made but there are areas that require a greater focus. It is not always about the allocation of extra social workers but can also be about practice and management or how work is broken down in a given area. Where there are gaps in the service, for example where foster parents have not been assessed or where a particular area does not have social workers allocated as one would expect, these are being examined. This week, I met the regional directors from the HSE and discussed these issues with them and outlined the need for consistency in this area throughout the country.

We will continue to assess whether there are enough social workers. My priority now is to ensure that the 270 are in place and that the work is done throughout the country on a consistent basis and that the guidelines for all frontline personnel are being followed in a consistent manner. That is how children will be protected.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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When can we expect the Minister to return, following her discussions with the health service professions, to let us know whether that number of social workers will be adequate? We need a timeline on that and on when a decision will be made by the Minister as to whether additional resources will be provided if necessary. I note from the Minister's response that 93% of those in residential care have a social worker, which means some 7% do not. Some 4% do not have care plans, which is surprising.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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We want to ensure an assessment is done for every foster parent and want to see that children who are in care have an allocated social work. There has been significant progress and extra resources in the past year. We will assess on an ongoing basis whether the numbers being recruited are adequate. A considerable number has yet to be recruited and all of the funding required is in place. No doubt the Deputy will ask about this again. When the new social workers are recruited, I will be happy to report back to him and the Dáil the percentages of children with a social worker and a care plan in place. I expect to see further progress following on what we have seen in the past few months.