‘Unregulated placements’ sometimes needed – Tusla CEO

Rented accommodation staffed by third party workers are needed to give immediate shelter to young people in emergencies and who require Tusla’s assistance, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has heard.

CEO of Tusla Kate Duggan said that “unregulated placements, mostly in rented accommodation… with staffing from third party providers” are sometimes needed in emergencies.

“A special emergency arrangement (SEA) is required to ensure an immediate place of safety for a young person,” Ms Duggan added.

She told the committee that a “shortfall in capacity means a regulated emergency placement, or placement in a statutory community and voluntary, or private care service” is sometimes not available.

While SEA’s account “for a very small number of the totality of the children in our care” they remain “a priority”, she insisted.

Ms Duggan said that she is “proud of the agency’s achievement to date”, but she “remains concerned” at both the rising number of referrals and their increasingly complexity.

The agency “remains challenged” in accommodating those young people with complex issues or in emergency situations, she said.

Labour TD Alan Kelly said that the increasing use of SEAs is “quite worrying” and the rise in cost is “incredible”.

Four years ago “less than €5m” a year was spent on SEAs, which “emerged post-Covid as an issue for us,” Pat Smyth, National Director of People and Change, said.

It now stands around €70m, the committee heard.

Ms Duggan said that the increase in demand for its services has been driven by unaccompanied young people seeking international Protection in Ireland.