Tusla referrals reach 18-month high as case backlog increases
Tusla's monthly report also shows a rise in the number of mandated reports of abuse received by the Child and Family Agency.
The number of child welfare and protection referrals made to Tusla in May jumped to its highest level in more than 18 months, alongside a rise in the number of cases awaiting allocation to a social worker.
The monthly report for May from the Child and Family Agency said 7,607 referrals were received in May 2022, 24% more than in April and 33% more than May last year.
It means at least 33,239 referrals had been made to Tusla in the year to the end of May, 15% more than the same period in 2021, albeit the cyberattack impacted on the monthly figures collated in May 2021.
The monthly report also shows that 5,136 cases were awaiting allocation to a social worker at the end of May, 11% more than in April. However, the report said 73% (3,743) of cases awaiting allocation at the end of May were “active on duty”.
"This means that actions were undertaken by dedicated duty teams or rotating social workers on a duty roster to progress the protection and welfare of the cases. Examples of actions undertaken include telephone calls relating to the concern, visits to see children, completing initial assessments and child in care reviews or care plans."
High priority cases account for 7% of cases awaiting allocation, with 372 cases awaiting allocation at the end of May 2022 categorised as high priority, 44 (13%) more than in April.
The areas with the highest number of cases awaiting allocation were Dublin South West/Kildare/West Wicklow (700), followed by Waterford/Wexford (590), and then Cork (584).
The monthly report also shows a rise in the number of mandated reports received by Tusla. Some 2,009 mandated reports of abuse received in May, 23% more than in April, and the year-to-date total is 30% higher than at the same point in 2021.
Cork, with 246, had the highest number of mandated reports. The highest number of reports were for emotional abuse (834), followed by physical abuse (482), sexual abuse (436) and neglect (257).
Most mandated reports were lodged by gardaí, teachers and social workers, but 69 were made in May by the managers of domestic violence refuges, which has been the source of 306 reports in total in the year to the end of May.
Meanwhile, the number of children in care fell slightly in May; Cork was the area with the highest number of children in care. The vast majority are in general or relative foster care, with just 10% in private residential or other settings, though the number of children placed with private providers increased.
