Written answers

Thursday, 23 October 2014

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Child and Family Agency Investigations

Photo of Michelle MulherinMichelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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131. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 147 of 14 October 2014, in view of the alarming figures for children awaiting allocation to a social worker, the steps being taken; the additional funding that is being made available to address same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40794/14]

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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A report prepared by the Child and Family Agency – "Measuring the Pressure" - indicates that at the end of June 2014, the Agency was providing 19,766 children with a social work service. The Report also highlights the increasing service challenge facing the Agency, with 9,548 cases waiting to be allocated to a dedicated social worker.

Approximately one third of these, (3,240 cases), were deemed to be high priority. These cases represent a mix of new referrals that need further assessment and social work input, as well as children known to the Agency who need a continuing social work service. I am assured by the Agency that emergency cases are dealt with immediately and that high priority cases are kept under review. We must ensure that the most vulnerable children in our society receive a timely and appropriate response.

The data and analysis contained in "Measuring the Pressure" provides critical management information to assist the Agency in service planning and resource allocation.

The Agency is in receipt of funding of €6.7m this year to alleviate identified service pressures and to support the continuing implementation of the reform programme across children and family services.

This funding is being targeted at a number of areas, including the replacement of staff on maternity leave by way of a 12 month temporary contract. Latest figures indicate that at the end of August, 164 staff were on maternity leave, 82 of whom were social workers. The Agency is also finalising proposals for the introduction of a guaranteed and protected one year induction programme for newly qualified social workers.

These initiatives are designed to assist the Agency in responding to identified service pressures and to provide for a targeted response to such pressures, taking account of identified need and available resources.

On foot of Budget 2015, the Agency will have a budget of €635 million, including over €12 million in capital funding. This represents an increase of €26 million - or 4.3% - over the 2014 budget. This additional funding will allow the Agency to build on the extensive programme of reform that is already underway across services for children and families.

These additional resources will be vitally important in alleviating pressures on services - right across child welfare and protection services, for example in supporting implementation of Children First on a statutory basis - and will be used to build on initiatives commenced by the Agency this year.

Tusla has already embarked on a programme of reform designed to realise the benefits of cost containment and to ensure that everyone using Tusla services experiences a consistent - and high quality - standard of service. The additional funding made available in Budget 2015 will enable the Agency to consolidate and build on this work, which will bring all services into a single National Service Delivery Model.

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