Warning over rise in ‘culture of referring on’

Social workers have warned that what Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald called a “culture of referring on” will increase if mandatory reporting is made law.

Provision for mandatory reporting has already been included in the heads of the Children First Bill 2012 and is likely to be a central plank in how the State reacts to concerns over child welfare.

Yesterday, Ms Fitzgerald told the joint Oireachtas committee on health that various elements of child and family services needed to change: “We have this culture in Ireland of just referring on.