Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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533. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of instances of child physical, mental or sex abuse reported to her Department throughout County Kildare in the past two years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54373/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Statutory responsibility for the delivery of child welfare and protection services rests with the HSE, which is the appropriate body to receive all reports of concerns relating to all forms of child abuse.

Each referral received by the HSE is assessed and progressed on an individual basis by the relevant social work team. Preliminary screening is aimed at establishing the appropriateness of the referral to HSE Children and Family services and if necessary is followed by an initial assessment of the nature and degree of any harm and an assessment of the child's needs.

The HSE has advised that from the period January 2012 to date there has been a total of 826 referrals for child abuse to the HSE Child and Family Services, Social Work Department in Kildare/West Wicklow. Three hundred and forty seven referrals received related to a concern of physical abuse - 46 of these were confirmed and 9 are still under investigation. Two hundred and twenty seven referrals received related to a concern of sexual abuse - 18 of these were confirmed and 29 are still under investigation. Two hundred and fifty two referrals received related to a concern of mental abuse - of these 49 were confirmed and 4 are still under investigation.