Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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131. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children awaiting allocation to a social worker on child welfare and protection grounds, broken down by local area and category of case. [21051/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I am advised by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, that the number of children awaiting allocation to a Social Worker has reduced from 8,351 nationally at the end of 2014 to 7,921 at the end of February 2015. The number of high priority cases within this figure has reduced from 2,731 nationally at the end 2014 to 2,303 at the end of February 2015.

This improvement may be linked with the implementation of Tusla’s Service Delivery Framework which is designed to ensure referrals are responded to in an appropriate, proportionate and timely fashion. Currently, a national review of cases awaiting allocation is being finalised by Tusla to inform further actions required to reduce these numbers. This review is expected to be completed shortly and will be submitted to me for consideration.

For the Deputy's information, I have set out in tabular format, national and regional data in relation to the total number of children in receipt of social work services who are awaiting allocation to a social worker, and their associated priority levels as at end February, 2015.

The Agency has advised that it collects the relevant data in a standardised manner and not in the format as requested by the Deputy.