Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am deeply concerned about this issue, as is the Deputy, and I am aware of the figures he is citing. In addition to what I have already said, I have provided Tusla with the necessary funding to recruit additional staff in 2017 - an increase of €37 million in 2017 alone - building on significant funding increases in previous years. In addition to what I have already said about my efforts to work with Tusla to ensure recruitment and retention, I formally meet the chair and the board of Tusla each quarter. After my most recent meeting with the chair in April, I took the opportunity to write to her to reiterate my concerns about the issues of unallocated cases and recruitment and the correlation between them. I am very mindful of the need for Tusla to closely link its recruitment programme with operational decisions and I have requested Tusla to provide me with a current assessment of planned recruitment to year end. In addition, I have requested that Tusla develop a robust workforce plan that addresses succession planning, retention, career pathways, training and development, future workforce needs, priority gaps and a strategy for tackling the priority gaps and reducing unallocated cases. In that context, I will meet with Tusla again on 18 May to discuss unallocated cases and recruitment plans.

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