Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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65. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of child protection and welfare concerns reported via the web portal child protection and welfare report form on a monthly basis since the operation of the web portal; the number of these reports assigned to social workers; the number of reports that have been investigated; the number awaiting allocation of a social worker and-or investigation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6782/19]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I have been advised by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, that the data requested is not available in the format requested by the Deputy. Tusla has advised that 10,811 online child protection and welfare reports were received through the webportal to the end of 2018.

Tusla collates data on overall referrals and mandated reports, which form part of the total of all referrals. These are inclusive of referrals received via the web portal. Tusla also publishes data on the numbers of open cases which have been allocated a social worker. I understand that, as a case can be the subject of a number of referrals, the data on the allocation of social workers relates to open cases only, and not individual referrals.

All referrals to Tusla Social Work Services are screened as they are received, irrespective of the source. The first consideration when receiving a referral is the immediate safety of the child.

Monthly referrals data, which are provisional as this data is validated quarterly only, indicates that there were at least 52,779 referrals received up to November 2018. Overall Tusla received approx. 5,000 referrals each month from all sources in 2018, comprising around 40% child abuse concerns and 60% welfare concerns. The number of mandated reports typically represents between 20 and 25% of all referrals received in a given month.

At the end of November 2018, Tusla has indicated that there were 6,046 cases without an allocated social worker out of a total of 26,007 open cases.

Tusla introduced the web portal for the reporting of concerns in January 2018, following the commencement the previous December of the mandatory reporting provisions of the Children First Act 2015. The portal is not the only means for a report to be submitted although it is considered the preferred method, particularly for reports from mandatory reporters.

Under the legislation, the decision on whether a report is a mandated report or not rests with the person making the report. It is then Tusla's role to screen and assess these. When a referral or mandated report is examined in detail by social workers, it may be determined that it requires a social work intervention or it may be more appropriate other interventions or services, such as a family or community based support. It is also possible that Tusla is aware of the case and appropriate actions are already underway. Data on activity and performance is published regularly on Tusla's website, www.tusla.ie.