THE RECRUITMENT OF 200 child care social workers this year is going ahead as promised by the government, Minister for Children Barry Andrews has confirmed.

Speaking to the he Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, Andrews said that 133 childcare worker had already been recruited, with 23 more due to start in the coming weeks. He said that 43 other people had accepted positions but their start date had not yet been decided.

He said that by employing 200 new child care social workers this year and 70 next year, it would “allow us to achieve the basic targets we need to make sure that we have allocated social workers, regularly reviewed care plans and assessments of foster carers.”

Andrews said the government was currently reviewing the report of the all-party committee, which had agreed a wording for the proposed referendum on children’s rights, RTÉ reports.

Sinn Féin’s Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin has accused Andrews of stalling on the proposed referendum.