Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children whose emergency out-of-hours needs were addressed through the Crisis Intervention Service and the Emergency Place of Safety Service throughout 2012; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17274/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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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 (CIS), and outside the greater Dublin area through the Emergency Place of Safety Service (EPSS). 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.

The latest available information from the HSE indicates that 494 referrals were made to the CIS and EPSS up to the end of Quarter 3 2012. End year data is currently being validated.