Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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80. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth regarding Tusla services in County Clare, the number of social workers employed; the number of vacancies for social workers; the length of time those positions have been vacant, the number of children with no allocated social worker; the number of children in need of either foster or residential care who are not currently placed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32215/25]

Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Recently, I had discussions with a number of people who have engaged with Tusla's alternative services in Clare. What I heard about the type and level of care being provided for some of the most vulnerable children in our society caused me great concern. I am here to get some answers as to the number of social workers, the number of vacancies, the turnover rate for social workers in Clare and the number of children who have no allocated social worker and who are currently placed in foster or residential care.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Department funds the provision of a range of Tusla services in County Clare, including family resource centres in Shannon, Kilrush, Ennistymon and Killaloe. These services do great work with children and families throughout Clare, and I am delighted to be able to support that work. According to information provided by Tusla on the number of social workers in Clare, I have been informed that 20 social workers are currently employed in the county. Three vacancies exist, and I understand that Tusla has undertaken a number of initiatives to address these vacancies, which are expected to be filled over the summer months. These vacancies originate from October 2023, May 2024 and June of this year.

While I acknowledge the efforts Tusla has made to resolve these specific vacancies, I am aware of the difficulties the agency has faced in recruiting and retaining social workers across the country, while child protection referral rates continue to increase year on year. In that context, Tusla has informed me that there are currently 77 children with no allocated social worker in County Clare. However, I understand that all of these children have been allocated a social care worker, and I am informed that all urgent cases receive a social work service. However, I acknowledge the critical importance of children in care, or in need of child welfare and protection services, being allocated a social worker.

The Department has actively engaged with Tusla and other stakeholders with regard to addressing issues relating to the supply, recruitment and retention of social workers. A significant range of initiatives have been undertaken in this regard, and Tusla achieved a national increase of almost 5% in social work employment levels between March 2024 and March 2025, with 79 whole-time equivalents.

In respect of the Deputy’s query regarding the availability of care placements, Tusla has indicated that there are currently 11 children awaiting residential or foster care in County Clare. I am informed that Tusla has placed all these children in residential respite, short-term fostering or supported lodgings. It is a shared aim of the Department and Tusla to provide a significant and sufficient number of high-quality placements to children in care, and specific actions are being undertaken in this regard.

Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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I have heard about a very low number of social workers and extremely high rates of staff burnout and staff turnover in Clare. This has resulted in severely traumatised children being handed from one social worker to another, with little or no continuity of care. I have heard of children with a foster family or residential placement being put into special emergency arrangements, through the out-of-hours service. This only operates from 6 p.m., as the Minister is aware, and children can be placed anywhere around the country. Social worker staff have to transport these very vulnerable children from to Clare to wherever a place is available, perhaps in Donegal, Cork or wherever else.

Concerns have been raised with me that some that some of these providers may be unregulated and that the care being provided may not be the most appropriate for the needs of these children. I have heard from foster families who have to deal with increasingly complex care needs of vulnerable children who have been left without appropriate levels of support. I ask the Minister for an update.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I confirm that the Department allocated additional funding to Tusla in 2023 and 2024 and there was record investment in 2025. This included increased capital investment.

Regarding foster care, 87.2% of all children in State care are cared for in the foster care setting. I cannot overstate the importance of this. It is a great opportunity for children to be placed in the foster care setting, which is excellent. In recognition of that, even though it is at 82.7%, which is high, we want it to be higher. The Department has overseen significant investment in foster care supports, including the foster care allowance. This has been increased to €400 per week for children under 12 and €425 per week for children over 12. Today, there was an announcement in relation to the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance. In addition, budget 2025 provided further investment and support directed towards children in foster care. This included an initial payment at the start of each foster care placement.

Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister, but everything I have heard on the ground tells me that the system is broken. A review of the issues I have highlighted is needed to make a start on improving things. Good people across the county are holding on by their fingertips and will leave unless a real attempt is made to address their concerns.

These children need consistency in social worker staff in order to make progress. That is not happening because staff are walking away on a continual basis due to the pressure of a complex workload, limited resources and a crumbling system. They are firefighting and it is impossible to sustain. The children need secure long-term accommodation. Foster families do wonderful work providing it. They provide complex care to some of the most vulnerable children in the country. They are not being supported properly and they are walking away. The lack of continuity of care is having a profound impact on the welfare of the children involved. It is the responsibility of the State to deliver and it is failing.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As I said at the outset, there are 20 social workers in County Clare. All of the three current vacancies are due to be filled this summer, depending on whether they relate to a career break, maternity leave or whatever else, so they will be at their full capacity of 23 social workers.

I recognise the invaluable work of social workers. Across the country, there is a lack of social workers available to us. It is for that reason that social work, per se, is on the critical skills list of the Department of enterprise. It is also for that reason that new routes to social work training are in place. In UCC there is an apprenticeship model of earn-as-you-learn. That is very important because the wider we can cast the net for people to become involved in this field of work, the better. Some 320 additional places are being provided in further and higher education this year alone, and a significant number of them are in the area of social work.