Tusla is currently receiving record funding, with even more funding on the way to promote its child protection work, Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe has said.
Speaking to reporters at Government Buildings today, Donohoe said that the government had worked “very hard in recent years” to support the work of the State’s Child and Family agency, and had taken “two steps in particular.”
“First, we have been increasing the amount of resources and support that’s available to Tusla budget by budget,” he said.
“And secondly then, in consecutive pay agreements, we’ve looked to pay those who work in Tusla more, recognising that they and all public servants are doing really difficult work.”
Referencing recent incidents where children have died while in State care, Donohoe said that “the loss of any life – the loss of the life of a child in particular – of course is always a tragedy.”
“And that’s why I try to provide more funding to Tusla budget by budget, to help them in their work,” he said.
“They are at a record level of funding at the moment, but they’ll need more money in the future.”
Notably, in 2023, Tusla’s annual budget exceeded €1 billion, and has remained above this threshold since.
Despite this fact, dozens of children have gone missing from State care during the intervening years, with reports that many of them are being abused by gangs of predatory men under the nose of authorities.