Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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608. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn by Tusla to difficulties in 2017 in recruiting staff to work in special care units; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50410/18]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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609. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the fact that prior to 1 January 2018 the special care units were not operating at full capacity due to staffing difficulties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50411/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 608 and 609 together.

The Deputy is aware that Special Care is where a child, in the absence of criminal charges, is detained on foot of an Order of the High Court, so that the child, deemed to be at immediate risk of harm to his or her life, safety or well-being, can receive the appropriate therapeutic support. This involves working closely with very vulnerable and marginalised young people. There are challenges with recruitment and retention in the area of special care, that are not unique to this jurisdiction.

I am aware that a national recruitment campaign for social care workers was organised by Tusla in 2017 which provided an extensive recruitment panel and talent pool from which newly funded and vacant positions were filled. I am also aware that due to the challenges in filling posts in the special care area, Tusla has employed agency workers, as a temporary measure, to ensure continuity of care.

Tusla has been engaged in a programme to enhance the capacity and quality of care and therapeutic supports in its special care units. Tusla is also developing bespoke recruitment initiatives for social care workers to meet the particular needs of special care. Tusla aims to have a maximum capacity of 26 places across 3 mixed gender units following the registration of special care units with Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) under the new regulations.

In addition to this, my Department provided capital funding to Tusla in 2016 and 2017 for the refurbishment and development of two special care units in the Dublin area. Due to the necessity of completing these works, one unit was not operational and one unit remained partially open at this time.