Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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118. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the action he will take on the 8,000 cases of child abuse, neglect and welfare concern, and to end these serious crimes, inflicted on innocent children, as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6324/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I am replying on the basis that the Deputy's question relates to the number of child welfare and protection cases which are with the Child and Family Agency and which do not have an allocated social worker.

As of November 2014, the Child and Family Agency has advised that a total of 19,988 children were in receipt of a dedicated social work service. A further 8,451 children did not have an allocated social worker.

Of the 8,451 cases, 2,844 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, for instance a child who has been abandoned or is in immediate physical danger or at immediate risk of sexual abuse and that high priority cases are kept under review.

The Child and Family Agency is undertaking a number of manpower related initiatives designed to increase the workforce capacity of the organisation and to ensure that unallocated cases are dealt with expeditiously. These include:

- Continuing recruitment, with 164 social workers recruited since the Agency was established, and a further 219 posts currently in the recruitment process;

- The introduction of a pilot Maternity Leave Scheme whereby temporary staff can be offered a 12 month contract to cover maternity leave;

- In recognition of the challenging nature of this work, new entrants and graduates have a reduced workload for their first year, with opportunities for regular supervision with experienced practitioners;

- The roll out of a caseload management system to ensure caseloads are manageable and prioritised appropriately.