Tusla ‘regrets sincerely’ its failure to hit targets for special care provision, PAC to hear

The Public Accounts Committee will hear that the agency is 'committed to increasing our staffing levels, to enable us to open additional special care beds'. File picture

Ireland’s child and family agency says it ‘regrets sincerely’ the fact that it has been unable to match its statutory targets for special care provision.

However, amid a dedicated cross-Government efficiencies-drive, Tusla has also said that any further cost-cutting across its remit could impact the delivery of its front-line services.

Chief executive Kate Duggan is expected to tell the Public Accounts Committee on Thursday that her agency achieved cost savings of €112.7m in 2026 “as a result of decisions we have taken to achieve value for money”.

“This is equivalent to more than 8.5% of our annual funded allocation and reflects Tusla’s continued commitment to maximising the effective stewardship of public resources, and our commitment to ensuring that every euro spent by the agency delivers better,” Ms Duggan is expected to say.

“However, the demand for placements for at-risk children remains very high. Any further cost containment actions, beyond the measures already taken, would significantly impact front-line services and placements, impacting directly on services to the most vulnerable children in the State,” she will say.

The PAC will hear that the agency is “committed to increasing our staffing levels, to enable us to open additional special care beds”.

“We regret sincerely that despite our best efforts, we have been unable to meet our statutory and legal obligations in relation to special care provision,” she will say, adding that Tusla is “more confident” of increasing special care capacity in 2027.

She will say the past three years have seen the agency implementing “significant reform... to improve outcomes for children and families”, adding that services are “now integrated, closer to the communities they serve, with more equitable access to supports based on population needs and levels of disadvantage”.

Tusla’s total budget for 2026 is €1.47bn, a jump of €188m on 2025.

That increase has been used to cover residential costs for separated children seeking international protection, to support foster care, and to stave off inflation and workforce costs, Ms Duggan will tell the PAC.

She will say some of the greatest pressures on Tusla stem from “areas where demand is increasing and suitable services or placements are difficult to secure”.

“These pressures can have significant financial consequences, but they also have very real consequences for individual children and families. Our responsibility is to seek those pressures in a way that is both financially sustainable and firmly focused on the best interests of children,” she will say.