At least 1,200 child protection files in Laois-Offaly may not have been assessed

At least 1,200 child protection files may not have been assessed by social workers in the Laois-Offaly area, the Oireachtas Committee for Health and Children has been told. The number has increased from 700 at the end of April, when the problem first came to public attention.

Gordon Jeyes, chief executive of Tusla (the Child and Family Agency), said the status of the files, or "referrals or pieces of information", was unclear. "Not knowing is a failure and I regret that," he said.

The files, some of which date back at least 10 years, were discovered by a recently appointed principal social worker at Tusla’s Portlaoise office, who had begun operating a new central intake system from early April.

Mr Jeyes told the committee that 822 Garda referrals were also unacknowledged. It was unclear whether this was a failure to acknowledge, which “unfortunately has historical precedent”, or whether the files remained unassessed.

He said nine social workers had been brought into Laois-Offaly from other areas, along with two childcare experts, to conduct a review of the files. “A number were urgent and have been moved on,” Mr Jeyes added. The review began on April 29th and is due to be completed by May 8th.

Mr Jeyes also said existing management at Laois-Offaly would be “closely scrutinised”. “People will be held accountable, but it is not appropriate to discuss that here.” He added that it was not simply a matter of resources. Resources were far more effectively managed elsewhere and guidance was followed, which was not happening in Laois-Offaly, he said. He said the Health Information and Quality Authority would either investigate or inspect the service at Laois-Offaly.

He also told the committee that some of Tusla’s 17 areas were still operating with “pencil and paper” systems, including the midlands. When Tusla was separated out from the Health Service Executive, in January 2014, none of the 270 HSE IT staff transferred to Tusla. This was “a major gap”, he said.