Sir, – As a social worker, I welcome the new Child and Family Agency, at least because it offers the potential of a standardised approach to assessing and protecting children, and transparency in terms of its ring-fenced budget. Miriam Kelleher (February 1st), wonders why public health nursing and child and adolescent mental health services, are not included in the new agency.
Surely this is because those services argued, that public health nurses work with the public from the cradle to grave, and are better positioned within the new primary care directorate, and child and adolescent mental health services are specialist mental health services and are better placed within the new mental health directorate?
What is key is that all agencies work together, each doing their bit to ensure that child welfare is paramount and those children at greatest risk are protected. – Yours, etc,
FRANK BROWNE,
Ballyroan Park,
Templeogue,
Dublin16.