Chief executive of Tusla, Kate Duggan, has apologised for the wording of a statement issued following the alleged sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl who had gone missing while in its care.
The Tusla boss was speaking at the Joint Committee on Children and Equality, which met on Thursday to discuss child protection matters and the use of special emergency accommodation with representatives from the Child and Family Agency.
“I think we can all agree that the background to this meeting is as a result of information coming into the public domain of very serious child protection incidents in recent times,” the meeting heard.
Recent incidents involving children who had contact with Tusla have sparked outcry, including the case of Daniel Areubose, the young child whose remains were found earlier this year. Daniel had not been seen for several years before he was reported missing in August. Tusla had previously engaged with his family.
The news of his disappearance came one year after Kyran Durnin, who would now be nine years old if still alive, was reported missing from Co Louth.
Last month, the agency received further criticism after a 17-year-old who had fled the war in Ukraine, Vadym Davydenko, died after an incident at Tusla emergency accommodation in Dublin.
In October, the alleged sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl, who had been in State care on the day of the assault in West Dublin, led to protests and riots at Citywest.
A statement released by Tusla after the incident prompted accusations of victim-blaming in the Dáil. In the statement, Tusla used the word “absconded,” saying that the child had done so whilst on a planned recreational trip with staff in Dublin city centre.
“She was later found to have returned to a relative’s home, again absconding from that house later in the evening,” the statement added.
The statement also divulged that the child had been “volunteered by her family” into the care of the Agency in February, “due to significant behavioural issues.”
“We’ve certainly taken that on board, and I know people have contacted us about that,” Ms Duggan told the committee as she responded to criticism of the statement.
“We do apologise for that statement and the way it was released, and the impact of it, and the wording around it,” she said, adding:
“While I cannot comment on the specifics of these cases, as there are ongoing investigations by An Garda Síochána, I can assure you that we are working with An Garda Síochána in relation to these investigations, and all of these cases are being reviewed by the national review panel.”
The Joint Committee on Children and Equality which has 14 Members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad, heard that Ms Duggan understands the concerns felt by the wider public in the aftermath of “significant” incidents involving young people in State care.
Ms Duggan told the committee that there had been a growth in demand for services, with a 100% increase in child protection and welfare referrals since 2014. The committee heard that Tusla had received 78,588 referrals for the first nine months of the year, an increase of 11 per cent since the same time last year.
The Agency’s chief said that she was “acutely aware” of the challenges faced by Tusla, which she said had been “widely articulated” and “publicly documented.” She said the agency is challenged by workforce supply issues, particularly in social work and social care. Wider societal issues, she added, including drugs, criminality and exploitation, were continuing to impact upon demand for Tusla services.
500% INCREASE IN UNACCOMPANIED MINORS
Ms Duggan said today that pressures had been placed on the Agency due to international protection services, saying that there had been a 500 per cent increase in the number of unaccompanied minors coming to Ireland since 2022.
“The requirement to significantly scale our Separated Children Seeking International Protection Services has placed a significant pressure on the agency. We are responding to a 500% increase in Unaccompanied Minors coming to Ireland since 2022. This demand is continuing to grow, resulting in significant strain in both property and workforce supply across the country. There are approximately 550 unaccompanied minors currently in care or being accommodated by Tusla.
“We continue to engage with Department of Justice in relation to the implementation of the EU Migration Pact with particular focus on proposed revised processes for age assessment and the establishment of a Representative service for unaccompanied minors.”
The Dáil previously heard that since 2021, 121 children in Tusla’s care have been referred to Gardaí for sexual abuse, something which has been described as “a systematic crisis.”
Senator Sarah O’Reilly last month said that the crisis has been consistently ignored, while criticising what she described as the Government’s continued reliance on private for-profit companies—many unregulated—to house children. The Aontú senator said that such an outsourcing model has put young lives at risk, and that children should never be placed in unsafe, profit-driven environments.
“I believe that the work we do is one of the most important roles in the state, and it is a privilege for us to work for this Agency. We are extremely proud of our staff that work tirelessly each day, and of our partners in community and voluntary services across the country supporting children, young people, families and communities on our behalf,” Tusla CEO Kate Duggan said today.
A man accused of assaulting the ten-year-old girl who was missing from State care at the time has been deemed “fit to be tried” and could face more serious charges, Cloverhill District Court has heard. The accused, who is 26, has not been identified, but faced his fourth hearing earlier this month.
He had the assistance of an interpreter when he appeared via video link before Judge Alan Mitchell. He is accused of sexual assault of a female at Garter Lane in Saggart on 20th October 2025. He is to appear before court again on 17th December.