Vol. 453 No. 5
2 Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of the vacancies for social workers and public health nurses in each of the health board areas; and the plans, if any, he has in place for the development of social work and public health services. [9559/95]
(Limerick East): Current personnel policy for health service provides that health agencies which are managing resources within allocation may fill replacement non-consultant posts, including social worker and public health nursing posts, without recourse to my Department. For this reason the information sought by the Deputy in relation to vacancies is not readily available.
However, I am aware that some boards are experiencing difficulties in recruiting social workers here. This has resulted in a recruitment drive in the United Kingdom. One of the main reasons for the shortage of social workers is the major expansion in social work services in the child care area over the past two years. Since 1993 my Department approved an additional 200 social worker posts for the purpose of implementing the Child Care Act. This represents an increase of approximately 50 per cent on the pre-1993 level.
The scale of the increase in the number of posts over such a short period is unprecedented and has contributed to the recruitment difficulties now being experienced. I am confident, however, that the steps being taken by the health boards, together with the recent establishment of the Social Work Validation Body, will help to ease the problem.
On the public health nursing side, my Department is currently reviewing the public health nursing service. The review will take into account the greater focus on primary health care at community level as spelt out in the national health strategy, "Shaping a Healthier Future". This review will provide essential information to allow for enhanced planning of public health service provision particularly in regard to addressing local needs.
Does the Minister think a 25 per cent vacancy rate for social workers is acceptable given the huge increase in the workload and the need for additional social workers to implement the provisions of the Child Care Act?
(Limerick East): I would like all vacancies to be filled as quickly as possible, and there is a recruitment drive in the United Kingdom to see if this can be achieved. The huge expansion in services over a short period has put pressure on the supply side.
Will the Minister accept that in order to ease the situation in the social worker area much more investment should be made in the public health nursing area? From their first day of training nurses are involved in both the practical and theoretical side of the job. Nobody objects to a public health nurse calling to a house in the locality — from the time a child is born public health nurses have occasion to visit homes. In order to complement the social work service the Department should consider investing more heavily in public health nursing and give public health nurses more involvement in the implementation of the Child Care Act.
(Limerick East): Clearly both disciplines are necessary. There are vacancies on both sides but there are more vacancies for social workers than for district nurses. The health strategy, Shaping a Healthier Future, envisages more involvement by district nurses at community level. They would have a role in the implementation of the Child Care Act but their primary role would be in the delivery of services across a wide level of activity in the community.
Given the recent horrific cases of child abuse, does the Minister agree it is time to set up a national inspectorate to examine all cases involving allegations against the social work services and other services delivered by the health boards rather than leaving it to each health board to organise its report? Such an inspectorate would build up a body of expertise which would be able to get to the core issues in such complaints.
(Limerick East): There is a question on the Order Paper to the Minister of State, Deputy Currie, on the Kilkenny incest report and I do not want to intrude into his area. I presume that question will be taken and the Deputy's supplementary might be more appropriate at that stage.
Let us not anticipate the replies to questions.
It is passing the buck.
(Limerick East): It is a recognition of his excellence.
It is good co-operation.
While it is obvious that the time available to us for dealing with priority questions is quite exhausted I can hear a reply to question No. 4 in ordinary time.
