Aontú Leader Peadar Tóibín TD has long been an outspoken critic of Tusla, consistently advocating for transparency and reform. Recently, the party secured documents under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, specifically an email exchange between the Minister for Children and Tusla’s CEO as well as briefing notes from a call between the two on February 21, 2025.
As innocuous as that may sound, the documents revealed some troubling issues within Ireland’s child welfare system including disturbing statistics on missing children, child sexual abuse, and even deaths in state care.
Deputy Tóibín described these findings as “extremely alarming,” calling the situation a “national scandal” that must be debated in the Dáil. He emphasised the urgent need to end Tusla’s unregulated ‘Special Emergency Arrangements,’ stating, “The system is crumbling. We need an urgent debate on the welfare of children in care.”
The key revelations from the FOI documents include:
- 37 children missing from Tusla’s care, 32 of whom are refugees or seeking international protection.
- 161 referrals made since 2021 for children suspected of being victims of child sexual exploitation, with 115 of those children in care.
- 235 deaths among children in state care or known to Tusla since 2014, including 10 murders and 51 suicides or drug overdoses.
- 66 children accommodated in hotels over the last 6 months.
Deputy Tóibín’s criticism, however, extends beyond these figures, focusing on Tusla’s failure to protect children from trafficking and exploitation and its disregard for legal obligations, including failing to inform the court when 250 children were left without social workers. He also noted the immense pressure that Tusla is under, with 94,000 children referred to the agency last year, despite overspending its budget by €80 million.
In the documents, Tusla state since 2002, it has significantly reduced the number of young people placed in emergency hotel accommodations, ensuring staff supervision 24/7. The agency also emphasised its ongoing concern about child sexual exploitation, acknowledging that children in care are particularly vulnerable to exploitation, especially through social media.