More than 8,800 referrals to Tusla in Cork last year

There were an average of 24 referrals to Tusla every day of 2024 in Cork, new figures have shown, with more than 2,600 cases open at the end of the year.

Tusla’s 2024 annual report shows that there were 8,806 referrals to Tusla across Cork last year, with 3,865 people referred to family support services.

In 2024, Tusla’s social workers in the South West (Cork and Kerry) dealt with 11,350 child protection and welfare referrals.

Nationally, this figure was 96,999, a 5% increase on 2023, and a 121.5% increase on the number recorded in 2014.

Overall, 592 young people in Cork were in foster care, 47 were in residential care, and 365 were in aftercare services. At year end, 2,654 cases were open to social workers, and 444 foster carers were on panel.

Commenting on the annual report, Tusla chairperson Pat Rabbitte said: “By almost every measure, the demand for Tusla’s services continues to grow — but so too does the agency’s capacity and sense of mission.”

He added that the continued increase in referrals reflects the rising pressures on families including cost-of-living challenges, homelessness, domestic violence, and addiction, but also growing public and professional trust in Tusla.

Anne Ryan, Tusla’s chief officer for the South West region said: “These regional and national figures tell the story of a constantly changing society. Children’s needs are changing, and so too must our response.

“We are facing a future that demands faster co-ordination, deeper interagency collaboration, and a whole-of-government commitment to children’s safety and wellbeing. Child protection does not begin or end with Tusla, it is a shared responsibility that lives in our homes, schools, communities, and national policies.

“Our mission remains constant: to protect children, support families, and help build a more inclusive, resilient, connected, and compassionate society.”