Significantly increased funding for Tusla is the most important measure the Government could take to address child poverty, more than 150 children’s organisations say.
In a statement to mark the close of its ‘end child poverty’ week the Children’s Rights Alliance says child-protection and welfare services must be “prioritised” in next month’s budget.
The alliance has 160 members, including Barnardos, the Irish Traveller Movement, Epic (empowering people in care) and Focus Ireland.
It is calling for Budget 2026 to be a children’s budget focused on “breaking the cycle of poverty” by increasing Tusla’s budget by €200 million, “to provide investment in the core family support, early intervention, child-protection and alternative care services to meet increasing demand”.
READ MORE
Tanya Ward, alliance chief executive, said children in poverty are experiencing “trauma” that may also include neglect, violence or parental addiction.
“When home is not a safe place or you are locked out of key healthcare supports and interventions that meet your needs, you are pushed into the margins of society,” she said. “For these children, our child-protection and welfare services are their last safety net. Budget 2026 needs to protect this safety net.”
She said the pandemic, staffing freezes and the cost-of-living crisis created “a perfect storm for children and services alike”.
“The aftermath of this has hit our child-protection system like a tsunami. There has been a 70 per cent increase in referrals since 2019, increasing pressure on already stretched and strained services.”
Since Covid, referrals have increased year on year to 96,666 last year and are projected to surpass 100,000 in 2025.
Internal Tusla reviews have found reports of possible abuse, neglect or mistreatment of children faced delays being assessed by social workers because of “intractable” staffing problems and “burnout”.
Last month the agency warned it would breach its allocated budget by nearly €68 million this year as it struggled to deal with a huge demand for services.
Ombudsman for Children Niall Muldoon said 19 per cent of complaints to his office relate to Tusla.
“We have serious concerns about the care and child-protection system overall. To address the issues we see, the system needs adequate resources, strong leadership, more accountability and children’s rights at its centre.”
Kate Duggan, Tusla chief executive, who will attend an alliance event on child poverty on Monday, said she was “delighted” to join the member organisations and to get the “opportunity to promote wider discussion on child protection and welfare services”.
Separately, Minister for Education Helen McEntee urged parents of children who will need special education school places in September 2026 to submit notifications and documentation to the National Council for Special Education by October 1st.
“This earlier closing date will support more effective planning for the school year ahead,” she said.
