Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 June 2016
634. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the ratio of social workers to cases by county in each of the years 2013 to 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15357/16]
View answerTusla is implementing a national caseload management system which allows management to monitor caseloads in terms of both number and complexity. It is recognised that, from time to time, individual cases can occupy a disproportionate amount of resources. The caseload management system gives managers a clearer insight into the pressures on staff. My Department continues to monitor the number of cases that are reported as awaiting the allocation of a social worker. The additional staff being recruited and the caseload management system will make an improvement in these figures.
The total number of additional social workers needed to deal with unallocated cases and keep within the caseload management system was estimated at 268, based on investment required over the next three years. At the end of March 2016, there were 1503.67 whole time equivalent social workers within Tusla. However, exact figures on the ratio of social workers to cases is not available, as these social workers work on a range of teams including Child Welfare & Protection Duty/Intake, Ongoing Child Protection work, Children in Care and Foster Care. A small number of social workers work in Adoption and other areas.
Tusla has been provided with additional funding of €38m in Budget 2016, including funding of over €6 million to reduce the number of cases awaiting allocation of a social worker. As part of its Business Plan for this year, Tusla has committed to a number of key targets to be achieved by the end of 2016. These targets include a 60% decrease of cases awaiting allocation; reducing the number of high priority cases awaiting allocation to less than 5% of the total number of unallocated cases; and ensuring that all children in foster care and residential care have an allocated social worker. Tusla has made progress in its targets.
The table below shows the number of cases allocated to a dedicated social worker between the 31st of December 2013 and the 31st March 2016, broken down by area level. The information requested is not available on a county basis.
|
No. of Cases Allocated by Area |
31/12/2013 |
31/12/2014 |
31/12/2015 |
31/12/2016 |
|
Dublin South Central |
1,131 |
782 |
752 |
988 |
|
Dublin South East/ Wicklow |
915 |
1,132 |
1,080 |
1,030 |
|
Dublin South West/ Kildare/ West Wicklow |
1,721 |
1,051 |
887 |
902 |
|
Midlands |
1,008 |
1,099 |
1,153 |
1,143 |
|
DUBLIN MID LEINSTER |
4,775 |
4,064 |
3,872 |
4,063 |
|
Dublin City North |
1,933 |
1,552 |
1,594 |
1,662 |
|
Dublin North |
1,162 |
1,454 |
1,940 |
2,379 |
|
Louth/ Meath |
902 |
831 |
1,209 |
1,125 |
|
Cavan/ Monaghan |
462 |
342 |
353 |
408 |
|
DUBLIN NORTH EAST |
4,459 |
4,179 |
5,096 |
5,574 |
|
Cork |
2,881 |
3,109 |
3,690 |
3,686 |
|
Kerry |
608 |
515 |
502 |
519 |
|
Carlow/ Kilkenny/ South Tipperary |
1,398 |
1,486 |
1,088 |
926 |
|
Waterford/ Wexford |
1,403 |
1,267 |
1,392 |
1,505 |
|
SOUTH |
6,290 |
6,377 |
6,672 |
6,636 |
|
Mid-West |
1,771 |
1,641 |
1,406 |
1,377 |
|
Galway/ Roscommon |
1,517 |
1,210 |
1,347 |
1,304 |
|
Mayo |
540 |
555 |
573 |
602 |
|
Donegal |
794 |
722 |
547 |
617 |
|
Sligo/ Leitrim/ West Cavan |
540 |
552 |
424 |
370 |
|
WEST |
5,162 |
4,680 |
4,297 |
4,270 |
|
NATIONAL |
20,686 |
19,300 |
19,937 |
20,561 |
