No social workers for ‘high priority’ children

Almost 850 children who are considered ”high priority” welfare and protection cases by social services have not been allocated a social worker.

According to figures released by Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone, there were 25,189 open child welfare and protection cases nationwide at the end of January. Of those, 80% or 20,173 had an allocated social worker. Of the remaining 5,016, 1,287 were classed “low priority”, 2,886 “medium priority” and 843 “high priority”.

Ms Zappone, in answer to a parliamentary question from Sinn Féin’s Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, said that of the 843 high priority cases awaiting allocation, 271 are waiting less than a month, 194 one to three months, and 378 in excess of three months.