Tusla's 1,700 social workers dealt with 96,666 child protection and welfare referrals in 2024 - a 5% increase on 2023, and a 121.5% increase on the number recorded in 2014.
The child and family agency says this equates to more than 385 referrals every working day across Tusla's six regions and 17 operational areas.
It predicts numbers will exceed 100,000 this year, due to the rising pressures on families, including cost-of-living challenges, homelessness, domestic violence, addiction, and global displacement.
Tusla's Annual Report was published this morning, with CEO Kate Duggan stating the figures tell a story of a constantly changing society.
"Children's needs are changing, and so too must our response. We are facing into a future that demands faster coordination, deeper interagency collaboration, and a whole-of-government commitment to children’s safety and wellbeing. Child protection does not begin or end with Tusla, it is a shared responsibility that lives in our homes, schools, communities, and national policies."
She added, "our mission remains constant: to protect children, support families, and help build a more inclusive, resilient, connected, and compassionate society."
Here's a breakdown of Tusla's 2024 in Numbers:
The 2024 Annual Report reinforces that protecting children is a shared societal responsibility. It requires commitment not only from Tusla, but from every part of public life: education, housing, health, justice, and the community.
As the Agency enters its second decade, it says it does so with renewed purpose: transforming systems, supporting its people, and advocating for children’s rights at every level of society.
