Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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599. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children currently in foster care in 2017; and the number of those children under 12 years of age, between 12 and 16 years of age and between 16 and 18 years of age, in tabular form. [14823/17]

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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600. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children that are currently in foster care that are diagnosed with special needs, physical or mental. [14824/17]

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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601. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children that are currently on a waiting list for a designated social worker. [14825/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 599 to 601, inclusive, together.

The most recent figures provided by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, indicate that there were 6,258 children in care at the end of December 2016, which is a decrease of 2% compared with the previous year. Of the children in care, 93% were in foster care nationally; there were 4,102 (66%) children in general foster care, 1,715 (27%) in relative care and 316 (5%) children were in a residential care placement.

The breakdown by age for children in foster care in 2016 is not available as yet, however Tusla has provided a breakdown of provisional figures for 2015. At the end of December 2015 there were 4,110 children in foster care nationally. The breakdown by ages as requested by the Deputy is as follows:

I can advise that the most recent figures available in relation to the number of children in care with a disability are to the end of September 2016. At that time, 5,906 children were in general foster care nationally. Of these, 523 (9%) had been diagnosed by a Clinical Specialist as having a moderate to severe disability. The Census 2011 results published by the Central Statistics report that nationally the percentage of children aged 14 years and under with a disability was 5.4%.

I have placed a high priority on addressing the number of children who are without an allocated social worker. I secured additional funding for this purpose in 2017, and Tusla is now in the second year of a 3-year plan to ensure that a social worker is allocated to all children and young people who need one.

The number of children without an allocated social worker at the end of 2016 was 5,413 representing a reduction of 19% (1,305) over the course of the year. Cases to be allocated to a social worker include children known to Tusla whose social worker is no longer available to them, as well as children waiting to be allocated for the first time. All unallocated cases are assessed and prioritised according to risk. Tusla has indicated that there were 453 children in care awaiting the allocation of a social worker at the end of 2016. Tusla advises that children in care with a disability are a priority.