Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 8 Apr 1993

Vol. 429 No. 5

Written Answers. - Industrial Action by Social Workers.

Liz McManus

Ceist:

53 Ms. McManus asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the industrial action being taken by social workers in the Eastern Health Board region which has resulted in 16-18 year old children not being provided with emergency accommodation; and if he will allocate funds for the provision of such accommodation in line with the Child Care Act regulations that he has already put in place.

Minister for Health (Mr. Howlin)

I am aware of the industrial action referred to by the Deputy which has resulted in the withdrawal of social work support from homeless young people in the 16-18 year age group who are not previously known to the board. However, I should point out that the two emergency hostels for the young homeless in Dublin are unaffected and homeless young people continue to have access to them. I understand that the Eastern Health Board is seeking a further meeting with the trade union concerned with a view to resolving the dispute. I sincerely hope that there will be an early resolution of the dispute and that normal services will be resumed as quickly as possible.

A significant proportion of the special allocations of £1 million and £2 million set aside in the budgets of 1991 and 1992, respectively, for the development of child care services has been used to develop new services and facilities for homeless children around the country.

Over 40 extra hostel and other residential places for homeless youngsters have been developed in the Dublin area where the problem of youth homelessness is mainly concentrated. An additional 30 places have been developed outside the Dublin area.

The new developments initiated in the Eastern Health Board area to assist homeless children include:

—a new emergency hostel providing 10 places for homeless girls at Sherrard House, Dublin 1;

—a new therapeutic unit for eight difficult adolescents (boys and girls) operated by the Eastern Health Board near Naas, County Kildare;

—a new residential unit for 10 boys operated by the Los Angeles Society in Dalkey;

—the hostel for homeless boys at Percy Place run by the Catholic Social Service Conference has been re-located to refurbished accommodation at Eccles Street resulting in an increase from 10 to 12 in the number of places;

—a new after-care service for up to four boys leaving that hostel has been established at Lennox Street;

—the establishment of an "after hours" social work service to deal exclusively with the young homeless;

—a "Carers for Young People Scheme" to provide family care for adolescents who have had difficulty adapting to other settings;

—the recruitment of families to take young adolescents into their homes on an emergency basis;

—the development of other short term accommodation such as digs, sheltered flats and semi-independent living accommodation.

The Eastern Health Board is currently involved in negotiations with a number of voluntary groups in relation to the development of further residential facilities for homeless children.

Provision for the full year cost of the various new service developments for homeless children initiated during 1991 and 1992 is included in the Eastern Health Board's 1993 allocation.