Tusla spent €2.3m on private residential care abroad for children needing specialist treatment

Ombudsman for Children Niall Muldoon said the huge increase in spend on treatment abroad for children in care was a reflection of the crisis Tusla was facing in this area. Picture: Maxwells

The €2.3m spent on private residential care abroad for specialist treatment in children within the Irish care system last year is “a reflection of the crisis Tusla is facing”, according to the Ombudsman for Children.

Tusla has revealed the provisional spend on private residential care abroad in the last three years for children in care was nearly €3.2m. This included a draft unaudited figure of €2.38m last year, while the costs for 2022 and 2023 respectively were €427,000 and €386,000.

Tusla provided the figures to Sinn Féin TD Claire Kerrane on foot of a parliamentary question she submitted to Children's Minister Norma Foley.

Tusla would not reveal how many children were sent abroad or for what treatments they were sent for, but said the number was in single figures.

A spokeswoman for Tusla told the Irish Examiner: “In some rare cases, specialised assessments may indicate a child’s needs may be best met by a specialised service and not within current Tusla service provision or indeed within the jurisdiction.

"Often, these placements are considered as an intervention and when the child has received the treatment/ service, they will return to a care placement within their community of origin. In other exceptional circumstances, a child may require long-term intervention from a specialised service and may be required to remain in a specialised placement for a longer period."

Ombudsman for Children Niall Muldoon said the huge increase in spend on treatment abroad for children in care was a reflection of the crisis Tusla was facing in this area. 

"Tusla is failing to accommodate many children in care, particularly those in special emergency care, and we can see there are also serious problems with providing support services for children in care. A fourfold increase in spend on the provision of specialist supports for children in care since 2022 is concerning as it highlights a major gap affecting children in care, many of whom are at high risk.” 

Ms Kerrane described the cost for last year as “worryingly high”, saying: “The total figures for the two years previous [2022 and 2023] don’t come anywhere close to €1m, never mind in excess of €2m, for one year.

"It is a frightening experience for any child, especially in care, going into a new setting or home, let alone being put on a plane and out of their country. I believe everything should be done to avoid this, and that includes looking at what is unavailable here and putting it in place, even if that means bringing specialists here.”