Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 June 2016
229. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children in care without an allocated social worker; the reason for the high number; and the steps she is taking to address this, by age bracket and by county, in tabular form. [16368/16]
View answerThe latest figures I have to hand from the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, indicates that on 31st March 2016, there were 6,405 children in care. Almost 93% of children in care were in a foster care setting. Of all children in care, over 93% (5,941) had an allocated social worker. Tusla's policy is that all children coming into care and those in high risk placements have an allocated social worker. Subsequent gaps may be attributed to a number of factors including maternity leave, vacancies and competing priorities.
Where a child is awaiting the allocation of a social worker, his/her needs are responded to by a social work duty team on a risk management basis. During this time, work with the child and their family may be undertaken by the social work team leader or social workers in the duty system. Some of these children may have had an allocated social worker, but due to a social worker leaving, they are reclassified as awaiting a social worker. 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 ensuring that all children in care have an allocated social worker. Tusla has made progress in its targets.
My officials have engaged with Tusla regarding local areas with a higher than average number of children in care without an allocated social worker, and steps are being taken, as a priority, to remedy this situation.
The following table represents the data available on the number of children in care with and without an allocated social worker broken down by Tusla administrative area, as at the 31st March 2016. This data is not available by age, or by county.
|
Area |
No. of Children in Care on 31/03/2016 |
No. of Children in Care with an All. Social Worker |
No. of Children in Care without an All. Social Worker |
% of Children in Care without an All. Social Worker |
|
Dublin South Central |
401 |
383 |
18 |
4% |
|
Dublin South East Wicklow |
302 |
302 |
- |
0% |
|
Dublin South West Kildare West Wicklow |
457 |
375 |
82 |
18% |
|
The Midlands |
377 |
354 |
23 |
6% |
|
DUBLIN MID LEINSTER |
1,537 |
1,414 |
123 |
8% |
|
Dublin City North |
627 |
577 |
50 |
8% |
|
Dublin North |
329 |
298 |
31 |
9% |
|
Louth Meath |
401 |
398 |
3 |
1% |
|
Cavan Monaghan |
164 |
164 |
- |
0% |
|
DUBLIN NORTH EAST |
1,521 |
1,437 |
84 |
6% |
|
Cork |
908 |
864 |
44 |
5% |
|
Kerry |
149 |
149 |
- |
0% |
|
Carlow Kilkenny South Tipperary |
378 |
365 |
13 |
3% |
|
Waterford Wexford |
438 |
390 |
48 |
11% |
|
SOUTH |
1,873 |
1,768 |
105 |
6% |
|
Midwest (Clare, Limerick & North Tipperary) |
599 |
503 |
96 |
16% |
|
Galway Roscommon |
413 |
402 |
11 |
3% |
|
Mayo |
141 |
141 |
0% |
|
|
Donegal |
213 |
168 |
45 |
21% |
|
Sligo Leitrim West Cavan |
108 |
108 |
- |
0% |
|
WEST |
1,474 |
1,322 |
152 |
10% |
|
NATIONAL |
6,405 |
5,941 |
464 |
7% |
