Press Releases

Published date: 24 Jun 2025

If funding does not meet the demand for child protection services, we risk not meeting the needs of the most vulnerable children in the country

Children’s Rights Alliance call for child protection and alternative care to be top priority for the Government ahead of its first budget

The call from the Children’s Rights Alliance comes ahead of a public event (24.06.2025) at which the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley T.D. will deliver a special address and Kate Duggan, CEO of Tusla – the Child and Family Agency will speak to current challenges the agency is facing to meet demand.

Speaking in advance of the event, Tanya Ward, Chief Executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance said:
“Over the past five years, the child protection agency, alternative care and family support services have been navigating their way through a perfect storm for children and young people. We have seen a surge in demand for these critical services without funding to match it. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the sudden withdrawal of services is increasingly evident in the complexity of cases and challenging circumstances reported by services on the frontline. Last year’s budget allocation was largely to provide for existing levels of service. However, existing levels of service cannot meet the demand and need that exist.”

“Since 2019, referrals to Tusla have increased by 70 per cent. They have doubled in the last ten years. Unless we see a significant shift in investment to prioritise our national child protection and welfare services, it will be children and young people who will suffer. These are children and young people most at risk of harm in the country. They should be receiving the best, specialised care and support, as and when they need it. They cannot continue to be an afterthought in budget negotiations.”

The Children’s Rights Alliance is calling for an additional €50 million in Budget 2026 to provide investment in core child protection and welfare services.

“Persistent staffing issues and an acute lack of appropriate residential and foster care placements creates an incredibly challenging environment for our national service and community family services to operate in. The infrastructure and personnel must be there to support the root and branch reform that is needed in the system. This will mean the Government needs to secure funding for at least 300 social workers and social care workers, additional foster carers, as well as capital funding for Tusla to acquire enough appropriate residential facilities.”

“A new vision for reform must also encompass wider, interconnected support services providing a safety net for children. Community and voluntary services are essential branches of our child protection and welfare system,” continued Tanya Ward. “These frontline services are delivering vital and often timely, life-saving support to very vulnerable children and young people in their own community. It is critical that there is a stable and sustainable funding stream to these organisations to bolster their capacity to continue to carry out this service to children, families and ultimately, the State.”

“We know from children directly of the transformative effect timely interventions, the support of a key professional and appropriate care placements can have. However, we also know what happens if we fail to deliver these. For too long, Government investment in our core child protection services and wider family supports has been below the level needed to provide safe and appropriate care for children and young people who have no choice but to depend on the state. This cannot continue,” continued Tanya Ward. “The Minister must make this a priority in Budget 2026. Without significant investment to enhance the capacity of the child protection system, no new vision for state care will be possible to sustain.”

 

_ENDS_

Contact:

For media queries, contact:
Nicola Anderson [email protected] / 086 2009691 or
Aileen Gaskin [email protected] / 087 7724 717

Notes to Editors:

• Tanya Ward, Chief Executive, Children’s Rights Alliance is available for interview.
• Panel speakers are available for interview upon request.
• Budget 2025 Expenditure Report states that this programme (children and family support) is to integrate and improve the existing service delivery arrangements which support the protection and welfare of children, young people and families. Government of Ireland, Budget 2025: Expenditure Report, (Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform) 57.
• Tusla – the Child and Family Agency Annual Reports are available here.
• The event takes place in Ashling Hotel, Dublin 8 at 2.40pm. Kate Duggan will deliver a keynote address, followed by two members of EPIC’s Youth Council who will speak to their personal care experience. Minister Norma Foley T.D. will then deliver a special address. This will be followed by a panel discussion chaired by Dr Maria Corbett, Child Protection and Alternative Care Project Coordinator, Children’s Rights Alliance, Fergal Landy, Chief Executive Officer, Family Resource Centres National Forum, Siobhan O’Dwyer, Chief Executive Officer, Youth Advocate Programmes Ireland (YAP Ireland) and Wayne Stanley, Chief Executive Officer, EPIC – Empowering People in Care (EPIC)

About the Children’s Rights Alliance:
Founded in 1995, the Children’s Rights Alliance unites over 160 members working together to make Ireland one of the best places in the world to be a child. Further information is available at: www.childrensrights.ie or on Twitter, @ChildRightsIRL #BreakTheCycle