Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 March 2017
630. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children currently in foster care; the number in protective residential care; the extent of the ongoing demand arising from the need to ensure the welfare and well-being of all such children; the availability of the required personnel and resources; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15458/17]
View answerThe latest figures from Tusla indicate that, at the end of December 2016, there were 6,258 children in care. Of these, 5,817 (93%) were in foster care and 316 (5%) were in residential care. Foster care is the main form of alternative care for children in need of care and protection, and it is the preferred option for children who cannot live with their parent(s)/guardian(s). Of the 5,817 children in foster care, there were 4,102 (66%) in a general foster care placement and 1,715 (27%) were in care with relatives. Residential care is the placement of choice for older children who have needs that are best met by this placement type. In general, residential care is based in domestic style homes, catering for 2 or 3 older children.
All children in care should have an allocated social worker but it is important to note that if a child has not been allocated a social worker, the cases are reviewed regularly by the principal social worker and are managed by duty social work teams to support the child's needs. At the end of December 2016, 93% of all children in care had an allocated social worker (6,258/5,805). All but two children in residential care had an allocated social worker.
Tusla current has 1,467 WTE social workers and an end of 2017 target of 1,520 WTE. This target is short of the target set in Survival to Sustainability by approximately 100 WTE and reflects the constraints of the social work labour supply. Funding is in place to address the issue of unallocated cases, however, the recruitment environment for social workers is very challenging. With only 250 graduating a year it is a very competitive labour market for social workers in Ireland. Tusla has taken a proactive approach to recruitment and has focussed its attention not only on recruiting social workers in Ireland but also the UK.
Tusla will continue to be as proactive as possible in the market to close the social work shortfall. However, Tusla is also focusing on being able to intervene at an early stage of a family difficulty through social care and family supports. Accordingly, Tusla is prioritising the recruitment of an additional 100 Family Support Practitioners, 166 social care staff and an additional 25 administrative staff to allow social workers to focus on their core work with children and their families.
