Child and Family Agency Staff

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 November 2018

Tuesday, 13 November 2018

Questions (518)

Clare Daly

Question:

518. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of joint specialist interview training sessions in interviewing persons alleging child sexual abuse that have been completed by Tusla staff in 2018. [46602/18]

Written answers

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

Currently 12 Social Workers are trained and operating as specialist interviewers. An additional 5 are trained but need refresher training before they can recommence conducting interviews. Refresher training is being organised by Templemore for later this year. Tusla has 12 places on specialist interviewing training courses being organised before the end of December 2018.

Assuming the 12 social workers training later this year complete successfully and the 5 social workers requiring refresher training also complete, there should be 29 social work specialist interviewers available from the start of 2019.