Almost 160 staff left jobs in Tusla's special care service over four-year period 

During the proceedings, Tusla chief executive Kate Duggan admitted recruitment and retention of staff is 'problematic'. File picture

A ruling which found Tusla in contempt of court for failing to secure special care beds for vulnerable children detailed how almost 160 staff left the agency's special care service in the four years up to February last year.

The contempt finding by Ms Justice Emily Egan highlighted a staffing issue in the agency’s special care units at Crannog Nua and Ballydowd in Dublin, and Coovagh House in Limerick.

While the full capacity of the three units totals 26 beds, just 15 were in operation when the contempt of court proceedings were brought on behalf of three children who had been granted special care orders late last year and early this year. 

Two of the three children had to wait three months before being able to access a bed earlier this year while the third had to wait for two months.

Tusla told the Irish Examiner that it regrets and apologises unreservedly for being “unable to meet our statutory obligation to immediately provide a special care placement for a young person when a High Court Order has been granted”.

During the proceedings, Tusla chief executive Kate Duggan admitted recruitment and retention of staff is “problematic”.

Ms Justice Egan said in her ruling: “Between January 2021 and February 2025, 177 staff were recruited while 159 left the service. 

"In short, staff are leaving almost as quickly as they are recruited. The special care service has never operated at full capacity, with the highest level reached being 18 placements for a brief period in 2022.” 

She also said "violence, harassment and aggression" contribute to absenteeism rates of approximately 18.9% in special care. 

"In 2024, days lost due to violence, harassment, and aggression amounted to 261 in Ballydowd, 637 in Coovagh House and 336 in Crannóg Nua."

'long-standing' issues 

Ms Justice Egan said that while Tusla attributes the staffing issues to “the challenging nature of the work environment, limited supply of social care workers, and strong demand for such workers across the wider public and private sectors”, all of those factors “appear long-standing and well known”.

She also said: “The agency’s witnesses all agreed that there is a real risk that a child in need of special care could die while awaiting placement, and that if existing beds were fully operational all such children could be accommodated. 

"They also accepted that, despite the initiatives underway, significant improvements in staffing levels are unlikely for several years.” 

Solicitor Donagh Bradley of Keenan and Company solicitors represented one of the three children in the case. He said the contempt of court finding against Tusla “is a really significant decision”.

He added: “What we would be hoping for is that it will bring about change in a system that has been failing the most vulnerable children in the country for a long time. It remains to be seen what action is taken but we would hope that it will bring about a push of further resources.”