Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 62: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the progress made in the availability of social workers at weekends for vulnerable children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6536/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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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. 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.

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 so doing, the HSE hopes to provide a standardised response across the country. In this context, the HSE is putting a system in place whereby Gardai can access an appropriate place of safety for children found to be at risk out of hours under Section 12 of the Child Care Act 1991. This service will conform with Child Care Regulations and with the National Foster Care Standards. The provision of this service aims to ensure that children presenting as 'at risk' outside of normal working hours are provided with an appropriate emergency place of safety thereby eliminating or reducing social admissions of children in an acute hospital setting. Foster families are currently being recruited for this service with a view to commencing the service on or before 1 June 2009.