Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 1: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the additional social workers to be employed in 2011 under the Ryan Report Implementation Plan will be in their positions by the end of 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32621/11]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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In line with the programme for Government I am committed to delivering on the Ryan report implementation plan. Earlier this year I personally took over the chair of the Ryan report implementation group and I laid the second annual progress report before the Houses of the Oireachtas in July. While there are significant financial pressures on child and family services, my Department is nonetheless seeking to prioritise implementation of the Ryan report recommendations both this year and in our planning for next year.

The Ryan report implementation plan committed to the recruitment of an additional 270 social workers. Some 200 of these new posts were in place by the end of 2010. The HSE national service plan includes financial provision for the recruitment of a further 60 social workers this year. I have been assured by the HSE that it plans to have these additional staff in place by the end of the year. While the HSE introduced a recruitment pause across all categories of staff over the month of August owing to its adverse financial position, the HSE has prioritised the filling of certain key development posts and decided to process the recruitment of these staff with a view to their taking up employment by year end. This includes the recruitment of the additional social workers. My Department will continue to monitor closely the position with regard to the recruitment of the additional personnel.

The additional social workers will be targeted at priority areas across the system having regard to an overall assessment of workload undertaken by the national director and his team. The recruitment of the additional social workers is one element of a wider change agenda within the HSE, through which I believe we can deliver better outcomes for children and families. This reform agenda will lead to the establishment of a new child and family support agency which will provide a dedicated focus on child protection and support families in need.

This change agenda seeks to deliver the best outcomes for children and families through achieving a service delivery model that will address a multiagency approach to managing the child welfare and protection system, which is so important; a nationwide consistency of approach in practice and implementation of Children First, and child welfare and protection services generally-----

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

-----use of standardised definitions, criteria and thresholds for reporting and referrals including prioritisation of cases; the recent launch of a child welfare and protection handbook for HSE staff and the commencement of training courses for staff, including joint-training with gardaí; greater reliance on real-time data on social work referrals and alternative care collated through HSE performance management indicators and the ongoing development of the national child care information system; improved resource allocation responsive to changing needs; and clearer management and budgetary accountability.

This reform agenda will lead to a new child and family support agency which will provide the dedicated focus on child protection. The implementation of these reforms will allow for the best possible services to be delivered within the resources available.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for her response. This is the second time I have had to ask about the number of social workers hired this year as a result of the recommendations of the Ryan report as the No. 1 Priority Question. On the last occasion I asked the Minister for specifics on the number of social workers we had on 1 January and how many we have now. The Ryan report commits to employing 200 additional social workers in 2010 with the objective of ensuring that each child in the State's care would have a social worker. A significant number - in the high single digits - of children in the State's care do not have a social worker. That is the specific objective of those additional social workers under the Ryan report implementation plan.

At her last Question Time, the Minister told the Dáil that as of the end of last year the 200 who were supposed to have been recruited last year had been recruited and any vacancies that had arisen had been backfilled last year. In order for us to understand how many social workers are in the system, we need to know the number on 1 January. How many social workers did we have at the start of this year and what is the figure today? On the last day the Minister gave a commitment to the Dáil on behalf of the Government that 60 new social workers would be hired this year. As of the start of November, none of those 60 has been hired. According to a HSE statement reported in The Irish Times a week and a half ago, there has been a recruitment pause-----

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I ask the Deputy to put his question to the Minister and she will respond. She has only one minute.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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-----throughout this year, not allowing any further posts to be filled. The Minister is telling us today that the HSE has informed her differently. Perhaps the Minister will clarify the figure as of 1 January this year and as of today, which information I sought from the Minister on the last occasion she took Questions in the House.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am committed to ensuring that the 60 posts are put in place. The Deputy's information is incorrect. To date, four of the posts have been filled, 11 candidates have accepted offers, in respect of which the necessary clearances are being processed. The remainder of the posts are at various stages of the recruitment process. As stated on the last occasion I answered the Deputy's question on this issue, I am assured these posts are not affected by the pause on recruitment. The Deputy will be aware of the extraordinary financial situation of the Health Service Executive, in particular its child and family services which are under enormous pressure. The director of child and family services is working in that context, which should be recognised by the Deputy. The HSE is in serious financial difficulty. Previously child and family services did not receive the type of priority now being accorded to them through the establishment of a separate agency.

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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The Minister must conclude. The time allocated for this question has elapsed.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The total number of social workers in place as of 31 September 2011 is 2,429. The remainder of the 60 posts will be in place by the end of this year, which fulfils the Ryan implementation group recommendation.

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I will allow a brief supplementary from Deputy McConalogue.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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This is the second time I have asked for these figures. We now know that as of 31 September 2011 there are 2,429 social workers in place. In order to know whether the four people recruited are part of that 2,429, we need first to know the figure as of 1 January. Despite this being the second occasion on which I have asked this question of the Minister, I still cannot get the information from her.

I have been told during discussions on this issue with social workers around the country that contracts offered are not being processed and that vacancies as a result of maternity leave and people retiring are not being filled. That is the reality on the ground. It is not good enough for the Minister to come in here and tell us she has been assured by the HSE that four posts have been filled when different reports are being given by the HSE to the media and so on.

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I must ask the Deputy to conclude as the time allocated for this question has elapsed.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Also, the Minister is not able to tell me the figure as of 1 January 2011. It is not good enough to seek assurance in this regard from the HSE. The Minister needs to find out the figure as of 1 January 2011 and the figure now. That is the only way we will know whether any of the 60 posts, which are supposed to be additional, are such. Perhaps the Minister will tell me the figure as of 1 January 2011 so that we can establish the position.

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I ask the Minister to correspond with Deputy McConalogue on the questions he has raised.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Perhaps the Minister will give a brief response.

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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No. I have ruled on the matter. We are well over time on this question.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I will communicate with the Deputy on the matter.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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This is-----

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I apologise but we are well over time on this question. I have asked the Minister to respond directly to the Deputy's questions and she has agreed to do so. Only six minutes per question is allowed.