Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We cannot ignore the HIQA report. I would welcome a statement from the Minister in that regard and to ensure that a timeline is put in place for when the recruitment will be completed in order that the existing 1,000 referrals can be addressed.

In fairness to Tusla, it has outlined that priority cases are being addressed, in the sense that the children most at risk are dealt with immediately, but that does not deal with the backlog of referrals that need to be urgently reviewed. It is important that a timeline is put in place for the appointment of social workers and that an adequate number is recruited especially in the Cork region. I would welcome a statement from the Minister on the matter.