Fewer social workers despite vow of more after Ryan Report

THERE are less full-time social workers employed by the HSE now than there were during 2009 – despite a pledge by the Government to employ 270 additional staff to bolster child protection in the wake of the Ryan Report.

Following the report, which chronicled years of systemic abuse of children in industrial schools, Minister for Children Barry Andrews promised to improve frontline services for vulnerable children.

However, figures from the HSE show that at the end of December 2009 there were 2,139 “wholetime equivalent” personnel employed as professionally qualified social workers, in comparison with 2,161 at the end of September 2009.