Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Seanad Éireann" and substitute the following:

"commends:

the excellent work carried out by the Irish Foster Care Association and foster carers throughout the country;

condemns:

the Government's failure to implement the Children First principles in a comprehensive and uniform manner over a ten-year period in this country;

notes:

that the failure to fill vacant social work posts and to recruit new social work staff was putting vulnerable children at risk;

that a report by the Government's own social services inspectorate into a HSE fostering service found that one third of all children did not have a dedicated social worker or a care plan;

the huge pressure on front-line health service professionals in terms of protecting children at risk which means that many children are not receiving an adequate service;

the long delays in assessment and treatment for children and adolescents with mental health difficulties and the lack of age-appropriate inpatient services;

that hundreds of young people who leave the care of the State each year are at risk of homelessness because of a lack of after care services;

calls on the Government to:

work with professionals to address their concerns at gaps in terms of child protection and the provision of services;

ensure the implementation of the Children First principles throughout the country in a uniform manner;

remove the recruitment cap on front-line health service professionals;

act upon the concern of organisations at the front line of providing care for vulnerable children and put in place dedicated after care services to enable these children reach their potential;

outline what action it has taken to implement the concerns expressed by the social services inspectorate into a HSE fostering service;

give legal security and recognition by way of constitutional referendum to the hundreds of children in long-term care, for whom adoption would be appropriate; and

in light of the baby P case in Britain to take all necessary action to ensure that such a situation could not occur in Ireland.".

This side of the House commends the excellent carried out by the Irish Foster Care Association and foster carers throughout the country. There is no doubt about that.

We condemn the Government's failure to implement the Children First principles in a comprehensive and uniform manner over a ten-year period in this country, as noted in recent reports. We note the failure to fill vacant social work posts and to recruit new social work staff because that puts children at risk.

We note that a report by the Government's own social services inspectorate into a HSE fostering service found that one third of all children did not have a dedicated social worker, which is a huge source of stress for foster parents, or a care plan, which is not very good for the children involved or, indeed, the foster parents. We note the severe pressure on front-line health service professionals in terms of protecting children at risk which means that many children do not receive an adequate service. We note the long delays in assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with mental health difficulties and the lack of age-appropriate inpatient services. This week the Kildare service announced it was closing its waiting list except for the most urgent cases. What effect will this have on the mental health of so many children?

We also note the hundreds of young people who leave the care of the State each year and who are at risk of homelessness because of a lack of after care services. We call on the Government to take various actions to deal with this situation, to look at the gaps in terms of child protection and the provision of services, and to ensure the implementation of the principles of Children First throughout the country in a uniform manner. I understand the cap on recruitment has been lifted but the posts are still unfilled. We call on the Government to act on the concerns of organisations at the front line of providing care for vulnerable children and put in place dedicated after care services to enable these children reach their potential.

I ask the Minister of State to outline to the House what action he has taken to implement the concerns expressed by the Government's social services inspectorate into a HSE fostering service. Many foster parents would welcome legal security and recognition by way of a constitutional referendum to the hundreds of children in long-term care for whom adoption would be appropriate. In light of the baby P case in Britain, I ask the Government to take all necessary action to ensure such a situation could not occur in Ireland if it has not already occurred. I say this because I am very concerned that the Ombudsman for Children, Emily Logan, who, because of her concerns about the position of some children whose cases have been reported to her, which she says are as serious as they can get, is now carrying out her own investigation of them. I do not know if that means that children have died or if they are at risk and I am not quite sure what it implies about care, but I understand there are very serious concerns which the Ombudsman for Children is investigating. I do not know when the Minister of State will receive her report but it is clearly a very serious issue of concern to everyone.

I assume that in moving this motion the Government wished to pay tribute to the Irish Foster Care Association and foster parents which is well deserved and on which point there is no argument. The concern has to be about the child who does not reach foster care, who does not even get his or her needs assessed and whose case is not allocated to a social worker. I have heard phrases in the course of my research for this motion from people who have said that there are drawers in Health Service Executive offices full of cases which have not been allocated. I have heard of child care managers who are at their wit's end trying to respond to the cases that are being brought to their attention. This is everyone's concern. Not every case referred to the HSE is a child protection issue. There can be issues of child welfare of varying types which can be resolved by different actions and intervention.

When will the Minister of State, Deputy Andrews, be in a position to inform the House what number of cases, which have been brought to the attention of HSE officers and teams, have been left without a social worker? I read the HSE report, published yesterday, and noted an information gap on figures in this area. While I accept the HSE is tackling the problem, how many cases in the system have not been allocated a social worker? How many children, and their families, in foster care have not been allocated a social worker?

Foster parents have several key concerns. The current economic situation puts more pressure on them. I appreciate yesterday's announcement on legislation in the adoption area, welcomed by the Irish Foster Care Association, which gives a little more autonomy to foster parents. As far as children at risk in Ireland are concerned, everything in the garden is not rosy. I acknowledge, however, the increased resources in this area. We have come from a time when there was very little funding to one when there is modest funding.

I also welcome the changes introduced. Foster parents and the HSE have played a large role in these. Many more at-risk children go into foster care rather than residential settings. We need to set a higher target on this. A home setting is far better for children than residential care. That has been a marvellous change in our social policy. As a former social worker who worked with children in residential settings, foster care and those waiting for adoption, I recognise and welcome the changes made.

Nevertheless, many children who end up in foster care do so because their safety, well-being and future development have been at risk. These children are vulnerable and their needs exceed those of other children. While committed carers take on caring for them, we must ensure the State also responds to the needs of the children and their foster parents in an ongoing way, not just at the beginning of the placement. Issues arise at all times. For example, when a child in foster care reaches adulthood, what supports will the foster parents get at that point? The after care policy needs to be clear. It is not good enough to give the supports up to 18 years of age and expect everything to be covered after that. Ongoing contact with the child protection welfare services can be a great support.

The HSE claims that no child at risk who is referred to it goes without an assessment. It decides that children at risk will be seen, where possible, by a social worker. The concern is, however, that one does not know the level of risk until the assessment has been done. If children are not assessed, how does one know one is moving to help the right children in the right place?

"Prime Time Investigates" examined foster care in the north east and found there were some concerns. Has there been a response to that report? Has there been a response to the social services inspectorate report? There is a major concern that the Children First national guidelines are not being implemented uniformly. I was shocked when reading the Department's report on the implementation of the guidelines. It is clear there are inconsistencies in the guidelines' application. Would it be better to put them on a statutory basis?

Will the Minister of State update the House on what actions he has taken since the "Prime Time Investigates" programme brought to light the problems facing social workers in addressing child protection and welfare services? Will he explain how he can ensure the necessary number of social workers is put in place? How many files of children at risk remain unallocated to a social worker? What action has the Minister of State taken to integrate the social services inspectorate into a HSE fostering service? How does he intend to ensure the implementation of the Children First guidelines, which are not being implemented nationally, potentially putting children at risk? When can organisations such as the Irish Foster Care Association expect to see after care services put in place for people leaving the care of the State?

I hope the House will accept my amendment to the motion. It highlights the urgent need to put the care, welfare and protection of some of our most vulnerable children above all else. We have seen the drama that has unfolded in England in recent weeks surrounding the Baby P case. Thousands of people marched in England in protest at what happened to that young child. We must take preventive action in this country. We must put services in place to support children who are at risk, assessing them, allocating social workers to them and ensuring foster parents get the support they need.