'Eyes and ears of Tusla' in spotting child abuse taken away when schools closed during covid

'When you took the protective factor of the schools away during covid lockdowns, you took out the eyes and ears of Tusla and what is coming to Tusla are children who should have been picked up years ago.' Picture: iStock

Children experiencing neglect, exploitation, and abuse went without being identified when schools were shut down during the covid lockdowns, according to the head of the Children’s Rights Alliance (CRA).

Chief executive of the CRA Tanya Ward was speaking as the alliance’s End Child Poverty Week gets under way. 

On Tuesday, the Child Welfare and Alternative Care conference will take place in Nano Nagle centre in Cork City, and will be attended by representatives from the CRA, Tusla, Safe Ireland, the Child Law Project, and Barnardos.

The topic of the conference will be adverse childhood experiences, their impact on children and young people, and the opportunity Budget 2024 presents to deliver real change in this area.

Ms Ward said: “There has been a real turn when it comes to the child protection and welfare services. The numbers steadily have increased over the four years, with a 13% increase last year in referrals to Tusla.” 

She said lockdowns were disastrous for children in families on low incomes and who were experiencing neglect, exploitation, and abuse.

The schools are fundamental in making sure that children are fed, the teacher picks up if something has happened at home and they contact Tusla. 

"When you took the protective factor of the schools away during covid lockdowns, you took out the eyes and ears of Tusla and what is coming to Tusla are children who should have been picked up years ago.” 

Children with disabilities

And she said: “The other thing that is coming to them is children with disabilities. These are children who spent enormous amounts of time waiting for disability services and the parents actually can’t cope so a lot of parents are contacting Tusla, asking for them to be taken in to the care system.” 

She said Tusla needed funding of €50m from the State to help the agency tackle issues regarding staffing, for example.

Ms Ward stressed foster carers also needed to be given an increase in the budget next month.

The foster care allowance is currently €325 per week per child under 12 and €352 per week per child of 12 and over. It has not been increased since 2009, when it was increased by €6 per week.

The Irish Foster Care Association launched its pre-budget submission last week, seeking to increase the allowance to at least €500 a week, along with the reform of pensions and the introduction of a grant to support children entering foster care.

Ms Ward said areas like the child welfare sector have been “ignored” in recent years “that have to be addressed in this budget”.

“The outcome is that services are not there for children in some areas, although they are for lots of areas.” 

She listed the lack of social workers and accommodation for children in care as key areas that needed to be addressed.

It follows concerns raised in a letter released with the Child Law Project report in July, from a now-retired Dublin judge, Dermot Simms.

The letter warned the State could face claims “arising out of its failure to comply adequately with its duty of care and statutory duty” to children in care.