Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 138: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the progress made regarding the provision of an out-of-hours social worker service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32169/08]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 180: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will ensure that the Health Service Executive immediately reinstates its plan to provide a comprehensive out-of-hours social care service for at-risk children in view of the crisis in child protection and inadequate social care services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32220/08]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 138 and 180 together.

The Government and the Health Service Executive (HSE) remain committed to the development of a comprehensive needs-based service for children at risk. In this regard, I personally chair regular meetings between officials from my Office (OMCYA) and Senior Child Welfare and Protection managers in the HSE aimed at improving the provision of services to children at risk. A key component of these discussions has been the provision of out of hours care.

As a result of these contacts it has now been agreed that rather than proceeding with the development of a stand alone social work out of hours service, the HSE is instead taking the opportunity provided by the proposed integration of hospital and community services at a regional level, to develop alternative proposals based on a more integrated approach which builds on its existing out of hours services including GPs, acute hospital services and mental health services. The HSE is currently finalising issues around the development of the necessary protocols and assessing the requirement for any further supports which will be necessary. It is anticipated that significant progress will be made in this regard over the coming weeks.

The aim is to ensure that persons seeking personal social services outside normal working hours can be triaged and provided with appropriate advice, information, support and, in emergency situations, access to specialist staff, such as staff working in the areas of mental health and suicide prevention. In this context the HSE is also working towards the provision of a system whereby Gardaí can access appropriate residential care options for children taken into care out of hours under Section 12 of the Child Care Act. In so doing, the HSE hopes to provide a standardised response across the country. This approach promises a more effective and integrated model of service provision which acknowledges the linkages between services such as mental health and social work while endeavouring to utilise the overall resources already in place to appropriately address incidents occurring outside usual working hours.