Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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41. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps being taken to address the shortfall of social workers within the Child and Family Support Agency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38842/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I want to acknowledge the challenges facing our child welfare and protection services and the pressures facing social work teams around the country. The service is operating in a climate of increased demand particularly in the area of child neglect. Since 2006 the number of referrals of child protection and welfare reports has almost doubled from 21,000 in 2006 to 40,000 in 2012. The increase in 2012 was almost 10,000 above the 2011 level.

The latest HSE employment census indicates that the number of whole-time equivalent (WTE) social workers employed in the HSE Children and Families service area was 1,397 at the end of June 2013. The census numbers reflect the outcome of a process of re-classification of social workers within the HSE into individual care groups, including Children and Families, to support the process of establishing the new Child and Family Agency.

Child Welfare and Protection services have also been faced with particular challenges over recent months arising from a high number of vacancies due to maternity leave and to a lesser degree sick leave. In response to these pressures a new panel of professionally qualified social workers was established in June 2013 to allow for the filling of vacancies in social work teams. A total of 112 vacant social worker posts have been approved for filling from this panel with the position being kept under constant review.