Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 255: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the steps she has taken to increase the number of social workers allocated to children in care over the past six months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7903/10]

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.

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, including the commitment to fill the vacant social work posts over the period 2009-2011. This initiative is being targeted at the area of child protection and children in care.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 256: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of children in care who do not have a written care plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7904/10]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 257: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of preschool facilities inspected by the Health Service Executive during 2009; the number inspected since 1 January 2010; the number that the HSE proposes to inspect over the next ten months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7905/10]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 258: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of preschool facilities across the State. [7906/10]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 263: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if the Health Service Executive has appointed an assistant national director with responsibility for children and family services; the details of this appointment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7911/10]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 257, 258 and 263 together. The Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for the implementation of the Child Care (Preschool Services) (No. 2) Regulations 2006 which give effect to the provisions of Part VII of the Child Care Act 1991 and provide for notification to and inspection by the HSE of preschool services.

I have been advised by the HSE that 4,766 preschool services were notified to them at the end of 2009. In 2009, 3,013 preschool services were inspected by the HSE in addition to 1,660 advisory visits to potential or existing services. Figures in relation to the number of inspections carried out in January 2010 are not yet available, however, I understand that over the remainder of this year 2,147 inspections are expected to be carried out. Mr Phil Garland was appointed as Assistant National Director for Children & Family Social Services in the HSE, in November 2009.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 259: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the details of a strategy in place in her Department to deal with the high levels of children who go missing from care each year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7907/10]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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It is a matter of great concern that a number of children go missing after they enter the State. Separated children going missing from care is not a phenomenon unique to Ireland.

The issue of separated children who go missing from care is complex. There has been a tendency to equate all missing children with trafficking. However the HSE advise that there is evidence to indicate that some of these individuals may be adults who disappeared before a comprehensive age assessment process could be undertaken by the HSE. It has been acknowledged by the HSE and also by other relevant statutory agencies that there are several factors that may contribute to the disappearance of a child from care and these are the following:- The child's appeal for asylum has been refused and he/she is nearing eighteen and is reacting to the pending threat of repatriation. The person has been smuggled into the country to join the workforce on a consensual basis and is availing of the child protection service as a fast track route into the State. The child has been trafficked into the State by traffickers using the child protection service as a route.

The HSE has developed a strong working relationship with the Garda National Immigration Bureau (G.N.I.B.) in relation to missing children. The level of interagency cooperation between the H.S.E. and the G.N.I.B. has been consistently high and has intensified in recent years. A Joint National Protocol on Children who go missing from care has been agreed between the Garda and the H.S.E.. Intensive meetings took place last year between H.S.E. management and the G.N.I.B. and local Garda to adapt this protocol in terms of application to separated children who go missing. The following measures were agreed:- Collaborative interviewing at the ports between social workers and Garda. Fingerprinting of persons presenting as underage at the ports, for tracking purposes. Planned Garda surveillance of those at risk of going missing from the point of presentation at ports to the initial placement period in hostels. Monitoring of the notification system of missing persons to local Garda to be closely monitored by Garda Inspectors. Joint training of H.S.E. staff and Garda/ G.N.I.B. staff in relation to children at high risk of going missing. Sharing of photographic evidence between H.S.E. and Garda.

Of the 47 children who went missing from care in 2009 9 were successfully traced. Garda are currently investigating adults involved with some of these cases. There was a decline in the number of children presenting and remaining missing in the last quarter of 2009. This is the result of intensive interagency efforts throughout that year. No children were reported missing in October / November while one was reported missing in December and was subsequently traced.

My office, the H.S.E. management and staff have been closely involved in collaboration with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in the development of the National Action Plan on Anti-Human Trafficking and I am committed to ensuring that we play an active part in combating trafficking as outlined in this plan.

In addition the Implementation Plan for the Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, 2009 contains a commitment that separated children will be accommodated in mainstream care, instead of hostels by December 2010. This move from hostel accommodation to residential and foster care should help to ensure that fewer children go missing. The HSE has begun the process of phasing out the hostel arrangements and putting in place appropriate 24 hour care staff arrangements in the remaining hostels until they are closed. Three hostels have already closed and the remaining four are to close this year.

I am satisfied that the efforts made by the HSE and GNIB to address concerns regarding separated children have proved effective. Both agencies are committed to intensifying their joint work in this area with a view to preventing children from going missing and locating those who do. The issue of unaccompanied minors has been prioritised by An Garda Síochána in its Action Plan this year.