Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 2 Dec 1993

Vol. 436 No. 6

Written Answers. - Social Worker Posts.

Pat Rabbitte

Ceist:

134 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Health if, in view of his promise to create 22 new social worker posts and ten child care positions arising from the implementation of the Child Care Act, he will give, in respect of each health board area, the number of these posts that have been created; and the number that have been filled.

Pat Rabbitte

Ceist:

135 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Health if, in respect of the Eastern Health Board area, he will give the number of new social worker posts created and the number of such posts filled for each of the years from 1991 to 1993; when the posts were filled; and the areas they were allocated to.

Minister for Health (Mr. Howlin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 134 and 135 together.

I presume the Deputy is referring to the approval given to the Eastern Health Board in 1991 and 1992 to create additional social worker posts and to the approval that I gave to the Eastern Health Board this year to create 22 additional social worker posts and ten child care worker posts as part of the preparations for the full implementation of the Child Care Act, 1991.

In 1991 11 posts of social worker were created. These were recruited during 1991 and assigned to the following areas: the child abuse prevention programme; recruitment and training of foster families within the travelling community; establishment of an After Hours Social Work Service for homeless young persons; recruitment and training of families to take homeless adolescents on an emergency basis; provision of social work services for homeless families resident in north city hostels.

During 1992 approval was given to the creation of eight additional social worker posts. These posts were deployed among the board's community care areas to improve the level of social work service, particularly in relation to the recruitment and training of additional foster families.

In 1993 approval was given to the creation of 22 additional social worker posts. Twenty one of these posts are being assigned to the community care teams and the remaining post is being assigned to the child psychiatric services in Kildare. I understand from the Eastern Health Board that competitions for social worker have been held and the board is now in the process of offering posts to the successful candidates. The majority of these posts will be filled before the end of this year. Pending filling of the posts on a permanent basis the board appointed 11 additional social workers on a temporary basis in June 1993. These temporary posts will be phased out as the newly appointed permanent staff take up duty.

The ten child care posts are being assigned to the board's community care teams. Competitions for child care workers are continuing and the board is in the process of offering appointments to the candidates that have been successful to date.