Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 29 February 2024

Public Accounts Committee

Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency

9:30 am

Mr. Colm ? Conaill:

There was some brief discussion earlier about this. Work is ongoing at pace. There were delays in previous years but the legislation was enacted in 2022 and we expect a director to be appointed in quarter 2 of this year. There is work ongoing by the team in the Department, with consultancy support, to set up the office, and the director will be hiring additional staff as we set up the office. That process will be ongoing through the year and into next year. We are looking at maybe 70 to 100 staff when the office is fully stood up but, in the meantime, there will be a hybrid mix of full-time salaried and self-employed GALs. There is a lot of work under way at the moment to get that office stood up.