Ireland’s childcare system is not adequately safeguarding some of its most vulnerable children, according to a report released by the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO), reports RTE.
The report, titled *Let’s get it right*, states that the system is currently failing to act in the best interests of all children, reports RTE.
In the past year, 19% of all complaints received by the OCO were related to Tusla, prompting the Ombudsman for Children to carry out a review of the care system.
The OCO examined every aspect of care, ranging from family-based placements to high-support services and aftercare provisions, reports RTE.
It said there is now a chance to deliver “a once in a generational change to the system”.
Historically, Ireland has recorded a very high rate of foster care compared with other European countries, reports RTE.
Although the levels remain above 80%, there has been a seven-percentage point drop in the proportion of children in foster care over the past decade.
According to the OCO, this decline is largely due to insufficient financial support from the State, reports RTE.
There are also serious concerns about kinship carers, where children who cannot live with their parents are cared for by relatives or close family friends instead of entering foster or residential care.
The report found that children in informal kinship arrangements face “significant disadvantages” compared to those in State-supported care, reports RTE.
Kinship carers often face legal uncertainty, as they may lack guardianship rights, making it difficult to make decisions about a child’s medical care or education.
Financial strain is another key issue, with informal kinship carers receiving much less support than foster carers, increasing the likelihood of poverty, reports RTE.
While the OCO welcomed a commitment in the Programme for Government to develop a policy addressing legal and financial gaps for kinship carers in Ireland, it said this needs to be progressed urgently.
Due to a fall in foster care placements in recent years, there has been a rise in the number of children placed in residential care run by private providers, reports RTE.
A shortage of foster placements has also led to more younger children being placed in residential settings, which the OCO said “is totally inappropriate for their needs”.
It warned that children may face additional risks in private facilities due to high staff turnover, which can result in weak oversight and unsuitable supports and services, reports RTE.
Tusla had aimed “to incrementally reverse” its “disproportionate dependency on private residential care” from 60% to 50% under its 2022–2025 strategy, but the report found that 69% of residential care is now privately operated.
The experiences detailed in the report show that in several instances, young people were placed in unsafe environments or denied basic supports, reports RTE.
Others faced difficulties maintaining family relationships or remained in unsuitable placements for extended periods due to a lack of appropriate alternatives.
The OCO said children in State care must be treated as “a national priority” or the system will continue to fail in meeting its responsibility to protect their rights, reports RTE.
It called for greater investment in early intervention and prevention services, as well as increased support for foster carers and recognition of kinship carers.
The report also recommends banning unregulated placements, extending aftercare supports up to the age of 26, improving services for children with disabilities and unaccompanied minors, and ensuring children’s voices are included in decisions affecting them, reports RTE.
Irish care system ‘a concern for a number of years’ – Ombudsman
Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One, the Children’s Ombudsman Dr Niall Muldoon said issues within Ireland’s care system “had been a concern for a number of years”.
“We’ve got a number of complaints directly from children, from GALs (guardians ad litem) and from various other people, but also publicly there’s been a lot of outcry from judges and the judiciary in regards to special care and other aspects of care, reports RTE.
“We wanted to take a look at it in its totality,” Dr Muldoon said, reports RTE.
He added: “There’s also a brilliant opportunity now because the Government are creating a brand-new alternative care strategy for the first time ever, and at the same time, they’re also reviewing the Child Care Act from 2001.
“It’s a really old act; there’s an opportunity here to make a better system come forward. That’s where we felt (there) was an opportune time to put it out there,” reports RTE.
The Department of Children, Disability and Equality said the National Policy Framework for Alternative Care is currently being developed and is expected to be delivered this summer.
“It will articulate the State’s vision for alternative care, focus efforts to address existing challenges, and most importantly improve outcomes for children and their families, reports RTE.
“The consultation has included strong engagement from a whole host of stakeholders involved in alternative care, including the Ombudsman for Children’s Office, along with children and young people, young adults with care experience, key workers and many more,” the department said in a statement, reports RTE.
It added that once the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2025 becomes law, it will reflect “legislative, policy and practice developments that have taken place in the child welfare and protection sector since the 1991 Act was first introduced”, reports RTE.
Tusla said in a statement that demand for its services has increased significantly in recent years, along with the complexity of cases being handled.
The agency said it received nearly 106,000 referrals last year, reports RTE.
“Over the last three years Tusla has increased placement capacity, including the opening of an additional 75 residential care homes.
“However, in the context of increased demand, particularly due to a 500% increase in separated children seeking international protection since 2022, Tusla is facing significant and ongoing challenges in sourcing appropriate accommodation, reports RTE.
“At the end of 2025, there were 5,879 children in the care of the State, with 86.0% (5,058) in foster care and 10.3% (609) in a residential care (general and special care) placement, and the majority of these children and young people are living in loving and secure environments with their foster carers, and receiving high quality care from committed staff in residential care homes across the country,” Tusla said, reports RTE.
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