1,323 referrals to Tusla across Mayo last year
TUSLA, Child and Family Agency has published its annual report for 2024, marking a decade of service and progress since its establishment in 2014.
The report reflects a year of continued growth in demand for services, a significant programme of reform, record staff recruitment, and major advances in digital transformation to better support children, families, frontline, and support staff.
In 2024, Tusla social workers in Mayo dealt with 1,323 child protection and welfare referrals. Nationally, there were 96,999 child protection and welfare referrals, a 5% increase on 2023, and a 121.5% increase on the number recorded in its first year (43,630 in 2014).
This equates to more than 385 referrals every working day across Tusla’s six regions and 17 operational areas.
Demand also increased across education, family support, residential care and special care, and services for Separated Children Seeking International Protection (SCSIP).
The 2024 figures for Mayo are:
* 1,323 referrals were made to Child, Protection and Welfare Services
*146 children were in care, 142 of whom in foster care
* 25 children were taken into care, 21 for the first time
* 1,191 children were referred to Family Support Services
* 298 cases were open to social work at the end of 2024
* 22 children were active on the Child Protection Notification System (CPNS)
* 99 foster carers on panel at end of 2024, including 11 newly approved carers
* 67 young people in aftercare
Commenting on the annual report, Tusla chairperson Pat Rabbitte said: “By almost every measure, the demand for Tusla’s services continues to grow - but so too does the agency’s capacity, resolve and sense of mission.
“A decade on from its creation, Tusla has undergone a transformation. While this journey remains incomplete, it has been marked by significant progress: the building of a national organisation, the strengthening of public trust, and a clearer vision for the future. Its greatest strength is its people - professionals who work every day with courage, empathy, and expertise to support and improve services for children and families in need.
“We are preparing the agency to meet the increasingly complex challenges of today’s society. After 10 years, Tusla has never been better equipped to deliver lasting change and better outcomes for children and families.”
The continued increase in referrals reflects both the rising pressures on families - including cost-of-living challenges, homelessness, domestic violence, addiction, and global displacement - as well as growing public and professional trust in Tusla as the agency to whom concerns must be reported.
Paddy Martin, Regional Chief Officer West North-West for Tusla, commented: “The demand we are seeing in Mayo, and indeed the entire country, reflects our constantly changing society. Children’s needs are changing, and so too must our response.
“The future 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.
“Our focus in 2024 has been on investing in the people and systems that drive change, from onboarding new staff, to rolling out digital case management tools that give frontline professionals a fuller picture of a child’s needs.
“In Mayo we have also placed an emphasis on the recruitment and retention of foster carers. We are making space for cultural change in our reform programme, building a workplace where staff feel valued, supported, and able to do their best work. Our mission remains constant: to protect children, support families, and help build a more inclusive, resilient, connected, and compassionate society.”
Demand remained high across foster care, mainstream residential care, and special care. A new dedicated national fostering recruitment team approved 11 new foster carers across Mayo, and 245 nationally - a 21% increase on 2023 (173).
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.