Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 35: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if the review of Services for Children and Families 2008 published by the Health Service Executive discloses a failure by the State to properly protect children at risk; her views on whether it is acceptable that of 24,668 reports regarding children at risk, only 15,364 resulted in an initial assessment; and the action she is taking to ensure all reports are properly investigated and assessed. [6948/10]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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All reports to the HSE's Child Protection Services are screened by child care professionals. Based on this, some cases are dealt with immediately and closed without the need for formal assessment, some are referred on to other services or agencies and some are deemed to require an initial assessment. In order to further develop its Child Welfare and Protection Services an amount of some €14m has been provided to the HSE in the current year to progress the implementation of the recommendations of the Ryan Commission. Included in the Government's Implementation Plan is a commitment to fill up to 270 vacant social work posts over the period 2009-2011. The filling of these posts commenced in 2009 and will continue throughout 2010. This initiative is being targeted at the area of child protection and children in care.