Review of welfare files sparks concern

Children’s rights groups have reacted with concern to the news that a completed review of previously unattended-to child welfare files has found that at least 127 children in Laois/Offaly require immediate intervention.

It emerged yesterday that of the 743 files reviewed by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, 660 required the allocation of a social worker. Of those, 127 required “urgent attention”.

Given that many of the files — which were discovered in Tusla’s Portlaoise office just last month — date back 10 years or more, it has sparked alarm that some children in Laois and Offaly may have been living in vulnerable or abusive situations due to a lack of State intervention.