Tusla warns extra cuts could cripple services for Ireland's most vulnerable children

In testimony before the Committee of Public Accounts, Tusla chief executive Kate Duggan outlined a €112 million saving target within the agency's €1.4 billion budget for one outlet year, while pledging to fulfil its 2026 service plan. She highlighted that demand for placements of vulnerable children is at a record high and warned that any extra austerity measures would directly undermine frontline care. Duggan noted that the Department of Children has indicated Tusla will be subject to a new levy designed to offset education-sector overruns, adding financial pressure.

The Ombudsman for Children, Niall Muldoon, has previously warned that under-funding could jeopardise the agency's ability to handle a 125 percent rise in referrals over the past decade. Tusla reported handling over 106,000 child protection referrals in 2025 and caring for nearly 6,000 children, most of whom are in foster care or residential homes, with high rates of school engagement and post-care outcomes.