Nearly 9,300 children were reported to Tusla last year due to their lack of school attendance

A growing number of children are being referred to Tusla after schools flagged worries over poor attendance.

Last year, education welfare officers raised 9,293 student cases involving pupils who missed 20 or more school days, according to the Irish Independent, reports Breaking News.

This represents a 16 per cent increase compared with 2024, when roughly 8,000 cases were recorded.

During the 2021–2022 school year, the total was under 7,000, reports Breaking News.

Under legislation, schools must submit yearly attendance reports to Tusla, the state body tasked with child welfare and protection.

Following the disappearance of Kyran Durnin in July this year, a Children Missing in Education (CME) unit was established to assist in locating children absent from school, reports Breaking News.

Kyran was reported missing in August 2024 and had not attended school since May 2022. He is now presumed dead and was last seen in May 2022, as reported by the Irish Independent. Gardaí believe he was killed around that period. Investigators say his remains were disposed of in an effort to hide what occurred.

Tusla also introduced an attendance awareness campaign in September 2025 and has created a five-year strategy aimed at reducing absenteeism by 2028, reports Breaking News.

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