The Child and Family Agency (Tusla), established by the Irish State in 2014 to safeguard children and support families, has experienced significant financial expansion over the past decade.
Its workforce and spending have grown as demand for child protection, welfare and support services continues to rise. Here are some facts about the organisation’s finances.
Tusla is led by Chief Executive Kate Duggan, appointed in 2023 by then–Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman. Duggan receives a salary of €211,000, along with €6,000 in travel and subsistence, according to Tusla’s 2024 Annual Report.
Upon her appointment, O’Gorman said Duggan “brings a wealth of experience from her previous role as National Director of Services and Integration in Tusla, and from her wider career in Health and Personal Social Services.”
Duggan has worked in various State body roles over the years, serving as Head of Quality and Patient Safety at the HSE from 2014 to 2016. She later became Director of Services & Integration at Tusla, followed by the agency’s CEO.
Tusla’s board comprises 13 members, who received a combined €121,609 in fees in 2024. Chairman Pat Rabbitte alone was paid €20,520, along with €323 in expenses. He was first appointed by former minister Katherine Zappone and later re-appointed by O’Gorman.
Rabbitte previously served as the leader of the Labour Party and was the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources from 2011 to 2014. He held various junior Ministerial roles during his political career, retiring from politics in 2016.
Tusla’s allocation has increased substantially in recent years. In 2020, when the current Fine Gael–Fianna Fáil–Green Party coalition took office, the agency’s budget stood at €814 million. Under the most recent 2026 Budget, this figure has reached €1.3 billion—an increase of €486 million in five years.
In August, Tusla indicated that it expects to exceed its 2025 budget by €67.8 million, citing pressure on frontline services. By May, the agency had already overspent by €8.9 million. Of the projected overrun, €7.6 million relates to costs associated with children in the international protection system, including young refugees from Ukraine.
Tusla employs over 5,700 staff. In 2024, the agency spent €416.967 million on staff-related payments, including salaries, pensions, PRSI and agency pay. That year, at least 203 employees earned €100,000 or more.