Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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1916. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth her plans to ensure allocated social workers or regulated placements to all children in care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20483/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I am aware that Tusla continues to face significant and ongoing challenges in sourcing appropriate placements for children in the care of the State.

In respect of efforts to ensure that there exists an adequate supply of regulated placements for children in care, my Department has overseen a significant increase in investment in foster care supports, including in relation to the foster care allowance, which was increased to €400 per week for children aged under 12, and €425 per week for those over 12 in 2024. In 2025, this means that foster carers will receive an additional €3,900 in allowances, depending on the age of the foster child.

Additionally Budget 2025 set out further investment and support towards children in foster care, including funding which will be used to provide a bonus payment at the start of each initial foster care placement from 2025. There is also provision for additional mileage support for foster carers who have significant travel responsibilities for children in their care.

In addition, the Deputy may be aware that the current Programme for Government includes a number of foster care related commitments. I can inform the Deputy that my officials will seek to proactively work towards realising these commitments, including engaging with their counterparts in other departments, when required.

My Department will continue to prioritise residential care in the ongoing capital investment funding engagements with the Department of Public Expenditure, in the next iteration of the National Development Plan.

In respect to allocated social workers, the most recent data available from Tusla indicate that at the end of February 2025, 98% (5,695) of children in care had an allocated worker. Of the 5,695 children allocated, 89% (5,053) were allocated to a social worker and 11% (642) were allocated to another professional. It is important to note that these numbers reflect a changing environment in Tusla where allocation of cases to a social worker has become more difficult with reduced availability of social workers nationally. Many cases are now allocated to other professionals which reflects the changing nature of social work teams. In many instances where cases are unallocated to a social worker there is a social care worker or leader allocated to the case.

Tusla has a number of recruitment and retention initiatives underway, supported by my Department including regional rolling recruitment campaigns which remain open year-round, and applications result in immediate interviews and offers to successful candidates.

Additionally in 2023 Tusla also launched Return to Practice and Overseas recruitment campaigns, targeting social workers looking to return to practice after a period of not working in the field, and social workers from outside the state who can avail of the Critical Skills Permit.

Since 2022, Tusla has sponsored staff to undertake a distance social work education programme with Robert Gordon University, and a two-year Social Work Masters programme in the Atlantic Technical University Sligo.

Additionally In May 2024, University College Cork (UCC) announced the introduction of two newly developed pathways into the social work profession.

I have been informed that these programmes allow a new cohort of students to access social work training, opening the profession to a more diverse range of people and helping to combat the recruitment challenges facing employers of social workers. Combined, they are expected to increase the number of yearly Social Work graduates by up to 20%.

Tusla are also in discussions with several Higher Education Institutions to increase the scale and breadth of Social Work educational opportunities.

Further, my Department has also commissioned an advertising campaign to promote Social Work as a profession. The ‘Social Work Changes Lives’ campaign was launched in mid-March and is currently live across various media and social media platforms.

I am also conscious that the Tusla People Strategy, 2025 to 2027, contains a strong focus on the recruitment, retention and development of staff.

I can assure the Deputy that both Tusla and I share a common aim to meet the needs of all children in care in appropriately staffed, mainstream alternative care placements, and will continue to work closely to achieve this.