The highest numbers are in the Dublin north and midwest regions.

Research shows social workers are concerned about clients threatening to post videos of their meetings, which they are legally allowed to film.

The Chairman of the Aras Attracta Review Group has said social care workers should go to the gardaí if they are seriously assaulted, "irrespective of what their managers or employers may say".

Social workers are to meet with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs next week, because social work students are struggling to get work placements. This struggle is due to a lack of formal arrangements.

The organisation which represents 1,300 social workers has told the Oireachtas its members often enter where others fear to tread - but the delayed release of inspection reports "rains further blows on perhaps already demoralised staff".

The chairman of Tusla is calling for a change in the way social workers are trained in Ireland.

Irish social workers must "stop immediately" the practice of acting in conjunction with their UK counterparts in seeking the return to Britain of children at the centre of care proceedings without the parents' knowledge of that application, the Court of Appeal has said.

More than 40% of the nearly 500 social workers who have quit work with Tusla, the child and family agency, since the start of 2014 gave no specific reason for their decision to leave.

Some foster carers feel “disrespected” by social workers, while both parties said a lack of clarity and timely resolution of issues was impacting on family life.

Almost 850 children who are considered ”high priority” welfare and protection cases by social services have not been allocated a social worker, writes Stephen Rogers.

Almost 850 children who are considered ”high priority” welfare and protection cases by social services have not been allocated a social worker.

The Minister for Children has said her department is working to recruit more social workers to support children in care.

The Irish Association of Social Workers is calling for a minimum 30% increase in the number of social workers.

Tusla needs 250 more social workers to deal with the backlog of cases of children at risk, its CEO said today.

The head of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, said he is “sympathetic” to points of concern raised by social workers in relation to proposed procedures for dealing with allegations of child abuse and neglect.

I am a graduate of a social care course and I was hoping, like so many others in my class, to go on to social work postgraduate studies – only to find that there is no part-time postgraduate course in this country.

A draft document from Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, outlining new Policy and Procedures for Responding to Allegations of Child Abuse and Neglect, has social workers up in arms, not least because of a proviso that could see abusers cross-examine their victims.

IMAGINE a child of 12 or 13, a nervous, look-away girl or an overly aggressive boy, frightened, cornered, and untrusting because they have been abused, physically or sexually.

A document from Tusla, outlining how social workers should respond to allegations of child abuse and neglect, opens the way for an alleged abuser to cross-examine his or her victim.

Plans are being put in place for the first nationwide out-of-hours social work service —10 years after the outcry sparked by the deaths of Sharon Grace and her young daughters.

More than 230 children in Cork assessed as being at high risk of harm, did not have an allocated social worker.