Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding the implementation plan for the roll out of a State-wide out of hours emergency social care service; if this plan will be published before Christmas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46763/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As part of the ongoing ‘change agenda’ in Child and Family services I am committed to developing the capacity of our child protection services to appropriately and effectively address the needs of children who present in emergency situations outside of normal working hours.

Two out-of-hours pilot projects, one in Donegal and the other in Cork, were commenced by the HSE in 2011. The Donegal project started mid-year and the Cork project started in the third quarter. Both projects were internally evaluated by the HSE, which then commissioned an independent external assessment, undertaken by Trinity College Dublin. I have discussed this issue with Gordon Jeyes, National Director for Children and Family Services in the HSE. The HSE is currently addressing the recommendations of the Evaluation Report with a view to developing a proposal for a national model for out of hours service for discussion with my Department. This will facilitate the inclusion of Actions and Targets in the National Services Plan 2013 for future development of out of hours services. Subject to further discussions on the proposed model, I am anticipating that roll out on a phased basis will commence in early 2013.

What is important is that children in crisis, no matter where they are, have access to 24 hour social work assistance, and this is what the HSE's National Director for Children and Family Services and I are working towards. Clearly whatever model emerges will need to address the challenges of varying demographic demands in both rural and urban settings. It should be noted that at present the Health Service Executive provides out-of-hours emergency services for children at risk in the greater Dublin area through the Crisis Intervention Service, and outside the greater Dublin area through the Emergency Place of Safety Service. The Crisis Intervention Service provides out-of-hours emergency social work assistance to young people aged under 18 years. The service operates across the greater Dublin area (Counties Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow). Referrals are made by service providers outside of normal working hours i.e. Gardai, hospital and ambulance service personnel.

The Emergency Place of Safety Service operates outside the greater Dublin area, whereby Gardai can access an emergency placement for children found to be at risk out-of-hours. This service involves the placement of a child in a family setting until the next working day, when the local social work service assumes responsibility for the case. As part of this service Gardai have access to advice and information from a non-HSE social work off-site resource which is provided on a contract basis.