Tusla is no longer fit for purpose and needs root-and-branch reform, according to Social Democrats children spokesperson Aidan Farrelly.
Deputy Farrelly said:
“Year after year, government after government, Tusla has never been empowered to cope with the demand for child protection and welfare referrals. This negligence is a government choice.
“Annual referrals have more than doubled since the Child and Family Agency’s inception in 2014 – demand has risen to approximately 50,000 more children, yet funding, services and infrastructure have not been extended and developed in accordance with these numbers.
“Poverty, which systemically leads to an increase in homelessness, addiction and trauma, is a primary driver of referrals. Successive governments have abjectly failed to deal with generational poverty, and the housing crisis. A whole-of-government approach to tackling these issues is the only way to bring referrals down.
“In March, I called for a complete reform of Tusla after a report, outlining its catastrophic shortcomings when complying with court directions affecting hundreds of children, came to light. It is clear the organisation has run out of road and has long been unfit for purpose.
“Tusla’s Director of Services must come before the Oireachtas Children’s Committee to outline all of the issues it is facing and be transparent about its failures. We must all come together and sort this mess out before even more children are left without the services they need.
“More importantly, once these shortcomings have been identified and solutions have been proposed, the government must act swiftly to implement changes. Otherwise, more and more vulnerable children will fall between the cracks.”
July 9th, 2025