Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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488. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of special emergency arrangements used by Tusla since 2020. [31676/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As this relates to information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency for direct reply to the Deputy.

Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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489. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on her Department’s work to address Tusla's difficulties in hiring sufficient staff for special care units. [31677/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Tusla have indicated that difficulties in the recruitment and retention of staff is the primary limiting factor on capacity in Special Care Units. Officials from my Department continue to work with Tusla to support them in addressing the immediate staffing shortages in special care provision.

Following extensive engagements between my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform a new grade and pay scale for Special Care has been sanctioned in an effort to increase staff numbers. Tusla commenced advertisement of this new grade in January 2025 and is in the process of onboarding the first successful candidates. This new Tusla Special Care Worker grade offers an improved salary scale, offering 19.4% higher pay at top-of-scale compared to the Social Care Worker grade and a 3.4% higher pay at top-of-scale than the Social Care Leader grade.

My Department also supports the ongoing work by Tusla to develop and introduce a Social Care Worker apprenticeship scheme. The scheme is currently being formulated in collaboration with relevant stakeholders including Tusla and the Higher Education Institutes and will serve as a further pipeline of recruitment into social care settings, including Special Care.

A record investment of over €1.2 billion was secured for Tusla in Budget 2025. This builds on a significant increase in Tusla’s allocation in 2024. An additional €1 million has been made available in Budget 2025 to support Tusla to address staffing issues in special care. Furthermore, an additional €1.55 million was also made available for the provision of supplementary step-down placements and the capital funding to purchase, renovate and equip those units.

While the operation of special care and the provision of special care beds is the statutory responsibility of Tusla, my Department is actively engaging with Tusla in relation to the challenges impacting special care. My Department will continue to provide support to Tusla that is necessary to address the current very significant challenges facing this service.

Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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490. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the external review of Tusla's special care will be released. [31678/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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In 2024 Tusla commissioned a review of Special Care by an external review group to examine the future configuration of Special Care. The Report of the External Review Group on Special Care was published on 20 May 2025. The report presents recommendations for the future delivery of Special Care and is available to view on the Tusla website.

Considerable work continues to be undertaken to address the complex challenges in the provision of special care. While the operation of special care and the provision of special care beds is the statutory responsibility of Tusla, my Department is actively engaging with Tusla in relation to the issues impacting on special care. My Department will continue to provide support to Tusla that is necessary to address the current very significant challenges impacting on this service, and examine longer term actions for the future provision of special care, informed by the Report of the External Review Group on Special Care.

One of the findings of the review group relates to capacity challenges due to difficulties in staff recruitment and retention. Officials from my Department continue to work with Tusla to support them in addressing the immediate staffing shortages in special care provision.

Following extensive engagements between my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform a new grade and pay scale for Special Care has been sanctioned in an effort to increase staff numbers. Tusla commenced advertisement of this new grade in January 2025 and is in the process of onboarding the first successful candidates. This new Tusla Special Care Worker grade offers an improved salary scale, offering 19.4% higher pay at top-of-scale compared to the Social Care Worker grade and a 3.4% higher pay at top-of-scale than the Social Care Leader grade.

My Department also supports the ongoing work by Tusla to develop and introduce a Social Care Worker apprenticeship scheme. The scheme is currently being formulated in collaboration with relevant stakeholders including Tusla and the Higher Education Institutes and will serve as a further pipeline of recruitment into social care settings, including Special Care.

A record investment of over €1.2 billion was secured for Tusla in Budget 2025. This builds on a significant increase in Tusla’s allocation in 2024. An additional €1 million has been made available in Budget 2025 to support Tusla to address staffing issues in special care. Furthermore, an additional €1.55 million was also made available for the provision of supplementary step-down placements and the capital funding to purchase, renovate and equip those units.