Irish Association of Social Workers

Politician(s) lobbied: Norma Foley (Minister), Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Intent: Establishing a Government-mandated National Working Group to review foster care policy, legislation, and resources. Implementing cross-departmental coordination (Education, Health, and Children) to ensure foster families have priority access to childcare and therapeutic interventions. Developing a national strategy to incentivise new carers through improved financial packages and professional recognition.

Methods: Meeting

Politician(s) lobbied: Norma Foley (Minister), Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Claire Kerrane (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Mark Wall (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas

Intent: IASW calls on the Government to Establish a formal timeline for the total elimination of SEAs. Legislate to expand HIQA’s powers to include the mandatory registration and inspection of all SEA and private residential settings. Mandate minimum professional staffing levels. Invest significantly in foster care and kinship care to make it a stable option for families. Urgent review of the aftercare system to ensure that children leaving care have supports.

Methods: Email

Politician(s) lobbied: Kate Duggan (Chief Executive Officer), Child and Family Agency (Tusla); Norma Foley (Minister), Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Intent: calls for urgent, system-wide action to ensure that every child in the care of the State is safe, protected and supported to thrive

Methods: Email

Politician(s) lobbied: Ian Power (Special Adviser), Department of the Taoiseach; Paraic Gallagher (Special Adviser), Department of the Taoiseach

Intent: Immediate, regular inspection of all SEAs, with HIQA mandated, without delay, to develop and apply minimum quality standards, and to assume full inspection responsibility for SEAs and all non-statutory residential services.​Centralised, ongoing verification by Tusla of Garda clearance and qualifications for all staff working in SEAs.Urgent cross-government action, with a statutory interdepartmental mechanism, to ensure joined-up planning and accountability for children in State care.

Methods: Email

Politician(s) lobbied: Mark Wall (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas

Intent: I ask the Minister to engage with the IASW on concerns on Tusla staff being dragged along with the reform, safeguarding issues, and the DCDE’s recent change to the chief social worker within the Department to a principal officer. Having someone seconded from Tusla removes the independence needed by social workers on the ground who have to raise their concerns.

Methods: Meeting

Politician(s) lobbied: Mary Butler (Minister of State), Department of Health

Intent: To review the letter and please include Social Work resourcing as one of the professionals that form a crucial component in the multi-disciplinary team within the CAMHS and indeed the Adult Mental Health services.

Methods: Letter

Politician(s) lobbied: Andrew Munro (Assistant Secretary), Department of Justice

Intent: The purpose of this paper is to outline the concerns in relation to unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) in the General Scheme and in the practical implementation of the EU Pact provisions. It takes into consideration the current shortcomings in the system. The paper also makes recommendations.

Methods: Email

Politician(s) lobbied: Mary Butler (Minister of State), Department of Health; Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Minister), Department of Health

Intent: The IASW welcomes the recognition in the report on the particular vulnerabilities for young people attending CAMHS ID services. The gaps in availability of supports other than pharmacological are particularly a challenge in CAMHS ID services with some teams currently only having medical staff.

Methods: Email

Politician(s) lobbied: Emer Higgins (Minister of State), Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Intent: Emer Higgins attended and spoke at our conference, Empowering Voices of Children and Adults with Disabilities

Methods: Event / Reception

Politician(s) lobbied: Helen McEntee (Minister), Department of Foreign Affairs

Intent: We stand with our colleagues in the IFSW Africa Region and with the people of Nigeria and support the call for strong and immediate action from the African Union and the United Nations to help the Nigerian government and local leaders responding to these crimes. Working together is essential to restore safety and provide urgent help to those who have suffered

Methods: Email