Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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246. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 500 of 26 March 2013, there were 368 Health Information and Quality Authority audits of the Dublin north west foster care service, there was 34 cases of serious concern, if birth parents who have reported concern of their children in foster care to social services and have not been contacted by social services following the HIQA report, the way these birth parents proceed to clarify their reported concerns; Dublin North West Social Services was closed after the report and social workers have been dispersed, if she will support that the reports of the 368 audits be sent to all the birth parents; and if further action is being taken in any of the 32 cases. [23275/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Foster care services in HSE Dublin North West Area have been inspected by HIQA on three occasions since September 2009, the most recent of which took place in October 2012. The purpose of foster care inspections is to review compliance with regulations and standards for all children, interview HSE managers and social workers, a sample of children, carers and birth parents and review files, including complaints.

In October 2012 there were 368 children in foster care in this area. As part of the inspection process HIQA reviewed a sample of foster care files. Thirty eight complaints or allegations made about foster carers were reviewed by HIQA. Seventeen of these were confirmed.

Where any allegation or serious concern had been confirmed by the HSE social work department, the majority of the birth parents of these children have been informed of the outcome of these confirmed allegations/concerns. However, there are a number of cases where birth parents are either deceased or not traceable and therefore it has not been possible to do so.

It should be stressed that Dublin North West, Children and Family Services did not close at any stage.