Tusla chief says damage from cyberattack will be 'costly in many ways'

'It will be some weeks before we have returned to a reasonably normal level of access to our system', chief executive Bernard Gloster said.

The chief executive of Tusla has warned the costs of repairing the damage done by the ransomware attack will be "costly in many ways".

The Child and Family Agency has had its services impacted by the cyberattack, as it uses much of the same IT infrastructure as the HSE.

Efforts have been ongoing to address the immediate issues caused by the attack, and a fortnight on, Bernard Gloster thanked the public for its patience and said the agency was still experiencing difficulties.

Tusla had already warned that the online portal through which people are advised to lodge any child protection or welfare concerns was not operable, while its National Childcare Information System (NCCIS) has effectively been sidelined, with a return to phone and paper-based work.

Mr Gloster said: "The Child and Family Agency continues to experience many challenges from the recent cyber attack on the HSE Network. We are continuing with as much work as possible in the circumstances.

"Presently, the main point of contact with the agency continues to be by phone with limited email for some staff. We hope this will start to improve in the next short while.

"A significant recovery plan is now in place and every resource and expertise is being used to assist us in that effort. We are also working to reduce the impact of the attack on the data held in our various systems."

Calls for additional funding

In recent years, Mr Gloster has repeated calls for additional funding for Tusla to continue essential work and he seemed to indicate there would be a financial impact to the cyberattack.

"We are in a difficult position with many issues and concerns to address but we are methodically working through each step," he said.

"The recovery phase will be costly in many ways.

"While I anticipate it will be some weeks before we have returned to a reasonably normal level of access to our systems it is important to emphasise that all of our frontline staff are working, and we are there for the children and families who rely on our child protection and support services. We are very grateful to the public for their patience."

It is understood there is still no evidence of any Tusla data having appeared online or on the dark web as a result of the ransomware attack.