Child and family protection agency Tusla received over 73 thousand welfare referrals last year.
It's an increase of more than three thousand from the previous year.
In total there were 5,863 children in care in 2021, 19 fewer than in 2020.
According to new figures, 90 per cent of those were allocated to a foster home.
Tusla's director of services and integration Kate Duggan says 2021 was a particularly challenging year:
"There has been a direct impact from covid in terms of the increase and the complexity of the types of referrals. That was also challenged by the impact of the HSE cyber attack. So what we have seen is our staff within our agency becoming so innovative, and creative in terms of using lots of different platforms so they could ensure that those children and families that needed a response from us, were responded to".
Tusla has published its Annual Report and Financial Statements for 2021.
2021 was Tusla's 8th year of operation, and saw more than 73,000 referrals to its Child Protection and Welfare Service.
You can view or download the report here: https://t.co/w6CqKzGRnZ pic.twitter.com/i2rRaOW2lu— Tusla - Child and Family Agency (@tusla) July 25, 2022
Kate Duggan also describes the impact that covid has had on the agency in terms of recruitment:
" The other challenge that has faced us in 2021 and continues to face us in 2022 is the recruitment of not just social worker staff, but a number of grades of staff across the agency".
"We have worked really hard with the universities to reach out to new graduates. We've brought in more flexible working practises, and engaged with social workers remaining in the agency to see what we can do to continue to retain, but also recruit new social workers into the agency".
