Health Service Staff

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 September 2011

Tuesday, 27 September 2011

Ceisteanna (450, 451)

Derek Keating

Ceist:

483 Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will consider accepting registered social care workers to assist and support professionally qualified social workers in dealing with family support, child bereavement and other circumstances such as school attendance and minor behavioural problems; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this is the practice in some parts of the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26423/11]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Deputy Frances Fitzgerald)

Social care workers currently work in partnership with other professionals to support people who experience marginalisation, disadvantage or who have special needs. While they are not subject to statutory registration at present, they will be registered under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 when this legislation is commenced. Social care workers are currently employed in family support services and in residential care, including special care. Additionally, they work alongside social workers in providing services to vulnerable children and to children at risk.

Derek Keating

Ceist:

484 Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of child protection social workers employed by the Health Service Executive to cover Clondalkin, Rathcoole, Newcastle, Saggart, Palmerstown and Lucan; if she is satisfied that there are adequate numbers to deal with these presenting with disclosures of abuse and wilful neglect; if she will confirm that the Health Service Executive has cut the community-based social workers assigned to care of the elderly duties in the HSE area 5 and reassigned them to child protection services; if she will confirm that there is no recruitment embargo on professionally qualified social workers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26424/11]

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (Deputy Frances Fitzgerald)

The approved Employment Control Framework for the HSE exempts social worker posts from the current moratorium on recruitment and the filling of vacancies. I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the HSE and I will be in further contact with the Deputy on receipt of this information.