Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if adequate resources to employ social workers for children are in place for 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56708/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Government has given approval to the drafting of a Bill to establish the Child and Family Support Agency. Work on the preparation of the legislation is proceeding as a priority and the intention is that the Agency will be established in early 2013. This will involve the transfer of over 4,000 staff.

I welcome the allocation of €546 million in the HSE vote for 2013 in respect of children and family services. This consists of €545 million in current expenditure and €1 million in capital. The provision has been successfully maintained at the level of that made available in 2012 with modest adjustment based upon reclassification of expenditure following the detailed review of the composition of the children and family services budget. This level of budgetary provision for child welfare and protection services reflects the priority attached by the Government to this important area. The overall level of resources being provided will be increased further by the inclusion within the remit of the new agency of the budget of both the Family Support Agency and the National Educational Welfare Board. Some final adjustments to the budget provision are likely to be required based upon the finalisation of the detailed service responsibilities and staff transferring to the new agency and on completion of a due diligence exercise which is currently underway within the HSE and which is due to be completed prior to the establishment of the new agency.

The budget set out above includes provision for the 260 social workers recruited on foot of the Ryan Report Implementation Plan and the establishment of the Assessment, Consultation and Therapy Service (ACTS) to provide a service to children in both special care and detention.

Once the Agency is established, the Chief Executive designate, Gordon Jeyes, will be responsible for the management of the overall combined resource. In this context he will have the discretion to fill vacant posts across all grades, including social workers, taking account of identified need and subject to services being delivered within available resources.