John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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179. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality of the efforts underway within her Department to increase the provision of special care placements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61523/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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While the operation of special care and the provision of special care beds is the statutory responsibility of Tusla, officials from the Department are actively engaging with Tusla in relation to the challenges impacting special care.

Tusla have indicated that difficulties in the recruitment and retention of staff are the primary limiting factor in capacity in Special Care Units. Officials from the Department continue to work with Tusla to support them in addressing the immediate staffing shortages in special care provision.

Following extensive engagements between the Department and the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation a new grade and pay scale for Special Care has been sanctioned in an effort to increase staff numbers. The new grade provides additional opportunities and a higher career salary scale for both Social Care Workers and Social Care Leaders. As of September 2025, this new Tusla Special Care Worker grade offers approximately 20% higher pay at top-of-scale compared to the Social Care Worker grade.

€26m has been allocated to special care in Budget 2026, an increase of over €6m on Budget 2025. This is to support the opening of all 26 special care beds by the end of 2026. This investment will facilitate an increase in capacity and enhanced provision by funding new special care staff grades, staff well-being initiatives and additional therapeutic supports. It includes €1.3m to provide an enhanced multi-disciplinary therapeutic service to children on the edge of special care, in special care, and transitioning from a special care environment.

Officials from the Department also support 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.

Tusla has indicated they have implemented several measures to address the ongoing challenges, including the launch of rolling recruitment campaigns, the introduction of a new grade within the service, the provision of psychological supports to staff and the introduction of various well-being initiatives.

Officials from this Department will continue to provide support to Tusla to address the current significant challenges facing this service.