Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 133: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if an adequate number of social workers will be recruited to address the large number of children in the care of the State and of children deemed to be at risk who have not been allocated a social worker; her views on whether this position can be tolerated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39298/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Implementation Plan for the recommendations of the Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse was accepted by Government and published in July 2009. One of the key recommendations of the Implementation Plan is that an additional 270 additional social workers be recruited by the HSE between 2009 and 2011. This is made possible as the approved Employment Control Framework for the HSE exempts social worker posts from the current moratorium on recruitment and the filling of vacancies.

A further key action of the Plan which is currently being implemented is the conversion of temporary social work posts to a permanent basis to address issues of continuity of care and staff retention within the child welfare and protection services. The need to recruit further additional social workers beyond this cohort will be considered in the light of progress made in delivering necessary reforms in the child welfare and protection service.