2026-02-19

103. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the proposals her Department has to deal with the fact that Tusla has advised that 300 social workers,100 social care workers and 500 foster carers are needed now to cope with demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13212/26]

Information was provided to us at the committee on children that Tusla is short of 300 social workers and 100 social care workers, and needs another 500 foster carers. In fairness, Deputy Kerrane spoke about the need to follow up on the State pension and other particular issues that will make it more attractive. We look after those who are doing absolutely necessary work. We all know the complexity. We know the issues that have been in front of this House in relation to Tusla. It is about ensuring it is fit for purpose.

I appreciate that the Deputy is raising a significant issue about the important work that is carried out every day by social workers, social care workers and foster carers. With the prevailing high rates of employment and the range of opportunities across the economy, there is a great deal of competition for and challenge in attracting qualified and expert staff to carry out social work in the health, education and justice sectors, as well as in the area of child welfare and protection. The challenges in child welfare and protection are not unique and they apply right across sectors like health, education and justice. Notwithstanding that, we have to address this. The Department has supported the development of various schemes and programmes in Tusla to improve its recruitment and retention of social workers and social care workers. New programmes are expected to increase the number of annual social work graduates by 20%. That is a significant uplift, year on year, in the number of those who graduate specifically from social work and social care programmes. The initiatives being taken by Tusla include: the introduction of a four-year tertiary degree, co-designed and co-delivered by Cork Education and Training Board and University College Cork; and the establishment of a two-year apprenticeship programme leading to a master’s or postgraduate diploma in social work, developed by an industry-led consortium. Tusla accepted 36 apprentices under the scheme in 2024 and took on a further 77 apprentices in 2025, with further expansion in 2026. I would like to see that move closer to 100 in 2026, if at all possible, but we will see how it goes. The Department funds and supports Tusla’s recruitment and retention of social care workers through various Tusla initiatives and programmes. This includes a number of measures. Tusla offers incentives to existing staff to undertake training to become social care workers. Tusla offers a relocation and visa sponsorship package for social care staff from the Philippines and South Africa to take up contracts within Tusla special care. Tusla is in the process of developing a new internal training school to support social care candidates to develop the skills necessary to work in Tusla’s residential and special care centres. Tusla is also in the process of developing a new internal training school to support social care candidates to develop the skills necessary to work in Tusla's residential and special care centres.

We all welcome initiatives in relation to workforce planning, although the easy refrain is that this should have happened earlier. The reason I am bringing this up with the Minister is the fact that Gerry Hone from Tusla spoke about unfilled positions. At the moment, there are 1,728 social workers. If we take in agency staff, the number is 1,754 but that is 300 short in terms of being able to deliver the work they do, which is phenomenal. As I understand it, there are 1,422 social care workers in the system but again, Tusla says that is 100 short of requirements. Foster carers do absolutely unreal work and we need to support them but if we are 500 people short, then we do not have the capacity in relation to delivering from a care point of view. We know the work Tusla is meant to do, involving everything from early intervention, supports for families and referrals to other organisations right through to looking after the most vulnerable who need to be in the State's care. We need a plan and I seek details, in a written response if necessary, on how this is going to be done and the numbers being included in the plan.

In terms of foster care, we have had a very good discussion on the role and importance of foster carers and the contribution they make in terms of child welfare. I can inform the Deputy that 198 new foster carers came on stream in 2025, a 9% increase. Notwithstanding that, I want to do more in this space. I also recognise the demand for foster carers is increasing. We have a number of new children coming into the system every single year and it is ever increasing. However, it is positive to be able to say that 198 new people came on board, a 9% increase over the same period in 2024. That is a positive. I absolutely hear what the Deputy is saying in terms of the need for an increased number of social workers and social care workers. It is important we have the mechanisms that will allow for that. It is projected that there will be a 20% increase year on year in terms of these schemes. I particularly want to congratulate the further and higher education sector for initiatives in this area. The link between Cork ETB and UCC, for example, is producing a significant number of social workers for us.

We all welcome those initiatives, which are absolutely necessary, but we must make sure we fill the gaps. We must ensure the services Tusla is meant to provide are not put under more pressure. I am aware Tusla has a new resource allocation model and is talking of new models of care in relation to the more complex cases that are arising. I ask the Minister to come back to me in writing on the detailed plan in relation to targets, not only for recruitment but for actual employment. We must ensure we have a sufficient number of social workers and social care workers, particularly in light of the figures provided by Tusla itself. We are all aware of the more complex cases. I refer here to Oisín Reddin, Kyran Durnin, Vadym Davydenko and Daniel Aruebose, to some of the cases referred to by the Child Law Project and the case of the ten year old who was heinously attacked. We need to be able to provide supports in those circumstances and we need to see that follow through I have spoken about before in terms of the recommendations. Legislative changes are also necessary in the context of the national review panel. We need to make sure all of that work is done.

We are all very clear about the importance of having the appropriate staff and of having a sufficiency of staff in place to support children. I can share with the Deputy examples of cases that are so complex they require a 2:1 staffing level. That means 14 staff being made available for the care of one child. That is the right and proper thing to do and that is what I would want to have in place. I am just making the point that such are the complexities that, at times, a huge number of staff have to be dedicated - and rightly so - to one child. In some instances, 14 staff for one child is the required staffing level. Notwithstanding that, the Deputy speaks of a plan and I am very happy to send on a formal reply in terms of all of the different levers that we are pulling. I am a particular fan of the apprenticeship model, for example, because it means those who go through the apprenticeship system stay within the Tusla family, as it were. That proves significant.