THE GOVERNMENT is to establish a new senior post in the Health Service Executive with direct responsibility for children in care due to ongoing failures over the management of childcare services. The new national director of childcare services will have powers similar to that of “cancer czar” Tom Keane, who held responsibility for implementing the State’s cancer control strategy.
The move follows a series of scandals relating to children in care such as the release of the figure of least 188 children who died while in contact with social services along with major gaps in foster care. However, the appointment is likely to be met with scepticism from Opposition parties and children’s rights campaigners, who have been calling for major changes.
No extra funding will be attached to the new post. Instead, the new “children’s czar” will help prioritise how the existing €536 million on child and family services is spent.
Tension between the Department of Health and the HSE has been growing in recent months over the scale of failures exposed in childcare services. The Irish Timesunderstands that Minister for Health Mary Harney wrote to the board of the HSE last month regarding the executive's record in protecting the safety and welfare of vulnerable children.
The letter, according to well-placed sources, highlighted the fact that the HSE was in breach of numerous statutory duties in relation to foster care services and called for urgent action.
Last night a senior Government official said it was speaking with potential candidates outside the jurisdiction regarding the new post and hoped to make an appointment shortly.
The new director will take on overall responsibility for child and family services and will be charged with implementing major changes across social services.
Many of the changes were identified in an implementation plan drawn up following publication of the Ryan report last year.
They include providing a uniform approach to dealing with child protection concerns across the social work service; more emphasis on preventive measures and family support; ensuring all children in care have a social worker and care plan.
