Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Can Mr. Smyth supply us with general figures regarding this dynamic? If it is €31 million, it is a big chunk of change out of Tusla's annual budget. If 10% is going to recruitment agencies, that is an unmitigated scandal. I am not blaming the witnesses for that - that is the way the system is working - but there is something inherently wrong in that.

My next question concerns fostering. Of the 1,453 social workers, how many are in fostering? There is a perception that people are moving more and more into fostering. Mr. Smyth may correct me if I am wrong in my perceptions, but child protection, for instance, is incredibly difficult work both psychologically and from the point of view of stress. I imagine that there may be a perception that fostering is a little easier. I am not saying it is not challenging - I am trying to understand the dynamic - but I imagine there is a high rate of attrition, not people leaving the service but moving into another service within the overall family. How many are moving across from child protection or other areas?