Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 2: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the total number of Health Service Executive social workers that are now employed in view of the 45 retirements during February; if she will give a commitment that these 45 social worker posts will be replaced in addition to the extra 260 that she had already committed to creating; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15956/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The HSE compiles a monthly census of employment in the public health and social care sector. The latest data available is in respect of January 2012. This shows that the total number of social workers employed in the HSE and in directly funded agencies was 2,435 whole time equivalents, WTEs. The impact of recent retirements will be more fully reflected in future monthly employment returns. The latest information from the HSE in respect of the number of social work staff who retired in February indicates that 31 social work staff retired. That is the most up-to-date figure, not the 45 mentioned in the Deputy's question. It refers to the end of January, so the figure I gave does not necessarily mean there were 31. Clearly, there is a great deal of movement at present in terms of recruitment of new social workers as well as the retirement of other social workers.

The HSE is actively reviewing the impact of recent retirements at national and regional level. The national director of children and family services, Gordon Jeyes, will apply his discretion over the course of the year to the filling of vacancies, having regard to identified need and subject to services being delivered within available resources. The HSE has in place an agreed service plan for 2012 and the challenge is to ensure full delivery of the range of commitments set out in that plan.

I am very much aware of the financial and service challenges facing the HSE in 2012. The Deputy will be aware of the budgetary challenges we had to meet last year. The challenges are such as to require acceleration of the reform programme across child and family services, leading to the establishment of a new and dedicated children and family support agency, to which the Government is fully committed.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

The Government has made additional budgeting provision of €19 million for child welfare and protection services compared to the funding made available last year. This compares to a reduction of €14 million which was made in the HSE's 2011 national service plan which was approved in December 2010. The additional funding made available for 2012 provides further impetus to the comprehensive reform of service delivery which is under way and which is aimed at generating the best possible outcomes for vulnerable children and families.

My Department will be working very closely with the HSE throughout the year to ensure the priorities set out in the HSE national service plan are implemented where they relate to children and family services. We have set an ambitious programme of work, one which is designed to strengthen significantly the policy, legislative and practice framework. Our shared goal is the delivery of appropriate, effective and consistent services, notwithstanding the very challenging and demanding circumstances in which these services are delivered.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I do not wish to be critical but the information is not as up to date as I hoped. It is now the end of March and the key date was 29 February in the context of the departure of staff under the incentivised pension arrangements or however one wishes to describe it. The figure is 31 and relates only to the end of January. My question suggests, from the information I have gleaned, that there were 45 departures in February and not just up to February. Does the Minister understand it to mean up to February?

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Yes, 31 had retired by the end of February. I will clarify it for the Deputy. The figures are for the period up to the end of January. Of the 31, some might well have retired before February. Those figures are still being compiled. The Deputy should accept that there is a fair amount of movement at present. I will come back to him as soon as I have the full figures. The figure is 31 at present.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Yes. We will not pull this from both ends like a Christmas cracker. I would appreciate if the Minister reverted back to us with clarification as soon as possible, not just for myself but for my colleague Deputies who are directly interested in this. It is very important. The core point of this and previous questions on this issue is a concern about the number of social workers, particularly when they are needed more than at any time in our political experience. I am deeply concerned. As a Deputy at the coalface people are presenting as never before, not even during the worst times of the 1980s. Today there is a huge rise in the real need and social workers have a crucial role to play in that. I am deeply concerned that we are not in a position to respond properly to the problems.

There is a high number of retirements. I hear the Minister for Health respond that they are in a certain age cohort but the fact is that they are not being replaced. These are positions lost. They represent hands and heads that are no longer within the service. How will this impact on the establishment of the new family support agency? One would expect there would be increased provision, commensurate with the work and undertaking of that agency. Are there any plans or contingency plans for coping as we move towards the establishment of that new body?

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I wish to make a number of points. A total of 262 extra social workers were recruited last year and the year before. It is, effectively, a 25% increase in the number of social workers dealing with child care, protection and welfare. If 25% more social workers were recruited in the child protection area prior to the retirements, it is important to acknowledge that. One can make the assumption, given the work rate of social workers, that even with the increased demand that clearly exists there is increased capacity to respond.

The Deputy says these people will not be replaced, but that is not correct. There is no moratorium on recruitment for social work positions. Gordon Jeyes has the authority to replace these positions as resources allow. Of course, the management of resources will be a key issue over the year given the various demands on the services. Where he sees the need to replace positions where vacancies occur, he has the authority to do that and to keep the teams at the right level to ensure the needs of the families presenting, and particularly the children who might be at risk, can be met and that those cases can be allocated.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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I am aware of the figures the Minister shared previously regarding the extra number recruited. However, the real comparison that must be made at this point is between the level of social work numbers, WTEs, as against the number in previous years. Is there a 25% increase in the actual numbers altogether, apart from the recruitment, given the departures and retirements up to 29 February? What is the real position now in the last week of March? These are valid and reasonable questions. Gordon Jeyes might have the authority to replace workers, but only within the confines of the budget provided. It is not the case that he can simply add numbers. He must thereby subtract numbers in some other way.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The number of social workers has increased in each of the years 2009 to 2010, inclusive. The other point is that while obviously numbers are important, how one organises the services is equally important. There is a reform programme under way. I can give an example. Some of the social workers who previously worked in adoption, an area where there is a changing scenario, will be reallocated to work in areas where there is a higher priority.

The other point is that we managed to achieve an extra €19 million for the area of child welfare and protection. There was a reduction of €14 million in the previous year. Despite the difficult financial situation there has been an increase of €19 million for those services. In terms of the director having an opportunity to use those finances to reach out in an appropriate way, perhaps through family support services, this must be taken into account as well as the numbers. The numbers are important and they have increased. I will refer back to the Deputy with the precise figures. The number for those who have retired is down from 45 to 31 and there has also been the recruitment of an extra 25% in the child and family area. There are positive developments in this area, and it is important not to mislead the House by not pointing to some of the positive actions that have been taken.