ARE WE WATCHING BRITAIN’S PAEDOPHILE GROOMING-GANG SCANDAL UNFOLD IN IRELAND — WITH THE VICTIMS BEING CHILDREN IN TUSLA CARE? In an opinion piece in today’s Irish Mail, Brenda Power warns of a shocking child-safety scandal involving vulnerable children in State care being targeted by sexual predators while the authorities responsible for protecting them struggle to keep them safe. Under the headline “Grooming gangs are the real threat, not grannies”, Power focuses on three cases involving teenagers in State care which recently came before High Court judge Mr Justice John Jordan. So concerned was the judge that he directed details to Children Minister Norma Foley, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan and Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers. One case concerns a 14-year-old girl who, Power writes, was being preyed upon by organised paedophile gangs. The teenager, from a deeply troubled background, reportedly believed the men exploiting her genuinely cared about her. Despite suffering physical symptoms associated with sexual activity with numerous men, the child was unable to recognise herself as a victim. Power argues that this illustrates the sinister nature of grooming: vulnerable children can be manipulated into interpreting exploitation as love and affection. A second teenage girl in Tusla care was also reported as being sexually exploited by a large number of men. The third case concerned a 16-year-old boy involved with an older criminal gang whom he regarded as friends and supporters. Gardaí had seized thousands of euro worth of drugs from him. Power links the cases to the shortage of special-care accommodation. Despite 26 designated beds, only 15 were available. But she argues that the debate must go much further than beds. The fundamental question is: who is sexually exploiting these children and what is being done to identify, investigate and prosecute them? Power draws a disturbing comparison with Britain’s grooming-gang scandals, where vulnerable girls, particularly children in care, were systematically targeted by groups of men. She argues Ireland should learn from what happened there rather than wait for a comparable scandal to become fully exposed here. She cites Irish Mail on Sunday reporting that organised criminal groups are exploiting the State’s inability to keep vulnerable children safe. Perpetrators allegedly contact children online, obtain information about residential care facilities and arrange meetings away from their placements. Power describes children initially being offered attention, affection, money, drugs or alcohol before being passed between perpetrators and subjected to increasingly serious sexual exploitation. What may appear to be children voluntarily meeting adults can instead involve grooming, manipulation and coercion. She strongly rejects any suggestion that children can meaningfully consent to their own exploitation. They must be recognised as victims rather than having their behaviour treated as the problem. Power also questions whether Ireland’s in-camera rule, while essential for protecting children’s privacy, can prevent proper public scrutiny of organised exploitation. Her broader argument is that the State risks concentrating on containing vulnerable children through secure beds and residential placements while insufficient attention is directed towards the adults allegedly exploiting them. Ireland, Power argues, must confront the possibility that organised grooming and sexual exploitation of children in State care is already occurring here. Her central message is stark: the vulnerable children are not the threat from which society needs protection; the adults grooming and exploiting them are.

DPP DROPS TWO SEXUAL ASSAULT CHARGES AGAINST MAN ACCUSED OF ASSAULTING 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN STATE CARE — BUT TUSLA STILL HAS QUESTIONS TO ANSWER The DPP has withdrawn two sexual assault charges against a man accused of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl in Tusla care. The decision was announced before Judge Martin Nolan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Friday. No reason was given. The man, who had been in custody awaiting trial, was subsequently arrested on foot of a deportation order. There may be legal or evidential reasons why a prosecution cannot proceed. Withdrawal of the charges does not establish that the alleged assaults did not occur, while the accused remains entitled to the presumption of innocence. But the ending of the prosecution does not end the questions. How did a 10-year-old child for whom Tusla had assumed responsibility come to be in circumstances in which such serious alleged harm could occur? AN APOLOGY WE SHOULD NOT FORGET Tusla’s original statement said the girl had been voluntarily placed in its care “due to significant behavioural issues” and had “absconded” from staff during a recreational trip. The language was criticised as verging on victim blaming. On November 27th, 2025, questioned by Deputy Claire Kerrane, Tusla chief executive Kate Duggan apologised: “We apologise for that statement, the way it was released, its impact and the wording around it.” When serious harm is alleged to have happened to a 10-year-old in State care, her behaviour should not become the story. The greater her vulnerability, the greater the responsibility to protect her. HOW “VOLUNTARY” IS VOLUNTARY? The description of the child as “voluntarily placed” in Tusla care also deserves scrutiny. Research by Kenneth Burns and colleagues at University College Cork identified “soft coercion” within voluntary care. Parents reported being told that if they did not sign an agreement, Tusla could instead seek a court order. Concerns have also been raised about parents entering voluntary care without independent legal advice and the imbalance of power between vulnerable families and the State. This does not establish what happened to this particular family. We do not know. But “voluntary” describes a legal mechanism. It does not tell us whether these parents believed they had meaningful alternatives, had independent legal advice or what supports were offered before their child entered care. THE QUESTIONS THAT REMAIN The prosecution may have ended, but the State’s responsibility for this child’s welfare has not. What safeguarding review did Tusla undertake? How did this child become separated from those responsible for her care? Were shortcomings identified? What supports had her family received before she entered care, and what independent scrutiny followed? These questions do not concern the guilt or innocence of the accused or seek to second-guess the DPP. They concern State responsibility. A 10-year-old child entered State care and subsequently became the complainant in allegations of serious sexual assault. Tusla publicly referred to her “significant behavioural issues” and said she had “absconded”. Its chief executive later apologised. A man was charged with two sexual assaults and held in custody awaiting trial. Those charges have now been withdrawn without a reason being given publicly. Throughout this, enormous attention has focused on Citywest, immigration and the accused. It is time to return attention to the person with the least power in this story: A 10-year-old girl. We should know more about how the systems responsible for protecting her operated — and less about the personal difficulties of a vulnerable child whose privacy should have been paramount. For voluntary care to deserve that description, consent must be informed, meaningful and genuinely free. And when the State takes responsibility for a child, the ultimate question is simple: Did Tusla keep her safe?

Mandatory viewing for Irish people concerned about their children and grandchildren being drawn into Future battlefields.

This is 💯 must watch

TUSLA CHILDREN TARGETED BY CRIME GANGS FOR SEXUAL EXPLOITATION A report in today’s Irish Daily Mail by Sarah Slater warns that organised crime groups are deliberately targeting vulnerable girls in the care of Tusla and sexually exploiting them. Ruth Breslin, head of the Sexual Exploitation Research and Policy Institute (SERP), said girls in residential care are being identified by criminals, invited to parties and plied with alcohol and drugs before being taken to private residences or hotels where groups of men may be waiting. In some cases, she said, men pay for sexual access to the children. Breslin said the recent case of a 14-year-old girl subjected to “horrifying” sexual exploitation by several men was not isolated. Research carried out by SERP in 2022 had identified similar concerns, particularly involving vulnerable children in State care. She also pointed to criminal exploitation affecting boys, saying some young people are drawn into drug dealing and controlled through debt, threats or fear. Garda sources told the newspaper that cases involving teenagers in State care include alleged “sextorting” after contact through dating apps and girls becoming caught up in the drugs trade before being sexually exploited to pay off debts. One source described an online “subculture” in which some perpetrators meet through forums and dating apps. The report follows revelations about the 14-year-old girl for whom the High Court ordered special care but for whom a secure placement could not be found. Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the Dáil that the Government was working on the case and said staffing shortages in specialised care facilities remained a fundamental problem. Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission chief commissioner Liam Herrick said the adults involved in exploiting vulnerable children must receive serious attention, warning that children can be groomed through gifts, affection, drugs or promises of protection. The report raises a disturbing issue extending beyond the shortage of special-care beds: children already in the care of the State are being deliberately targeted by organised criminals for sexual and criminal exploitation.

TUSLA RESPONDS TO FAILURE TO PROVIDE SPECIAL-CARE BEDS WITH PLAN TO REDUCE NUMBER OF CHILDREN REFERRED FOR SPECIAL CARE A report in The Irish Times by Social Affairs Correspondent Kitty Holland reveals that Tusla plans to reduce the number of highly vulnerable children entering special care as part of its response to a crisis in which it has been unable to provide beds for children whom the High Court has ordered into secure care. An internal Tusla strategy, dated September and obtained under Freedom of Information legislation, sets out a two-year plan to have all 26 special-care beds operational by the end of 2028. However, its target of having 20 beds available by the end of 2026 is already classified as “at risk”. At the time the strategy was reported, only 13 of 26 beds were operating. Significantly, the strategy does not rely solely on increasing capacity. It states that “considerable efforts” are being made to ensure children are referred to special care only after all other options and supports have been provided. According to The Irish Times, this is causing concern among legal sources, who fear children who might previously have been recommended for special care by Tusla’s referral committee could instead be refused. Tusla aims to eliminate its “no beds list” by the end of the year. This comprises children for whom the High Court has determined special care is necessary but for whom Tusla cannot provide a place. The strategy follows serious judicial criticism. In July, High Court Judge Emily Egan found Tusla in contempt of court over its failure to provide special-care placements. The problem was not a physical shortage of beds but insufficient staffing to operate them. Tusla’s evidence was that if all 26 beds were operational, the “no beds” list would effectively disappear. The urgency was highlighted again this month when Judge John Jordan dealt with three teenagers considered to be at extreme risk. One was a 14-year-old girl with a learning disability whom gardaí believe was being sexually exploited by multiple adult men and supplied with alcohol, cocaine and other drugs. Despite the High Court determining she required special care, there was no bed available. A second teenage girl was also described as being subjected to serious sexual exploitation, while a 16-year-old boy was considered in extreme danger after becoming involved with older criminals and the sale and manufacture of drugs. Judge Jordan lifted the in-camera restriction sufficiently to have details brought to Ministers Norma Foley, Jim O’Callaghan and Jack Chambers, providing Government with what he described as a “vivid illustration” of the consequences of failing to open the beds. Tusla’s strategy contains five objectives, including increasing bed capacity, strengthening workforce sustainability and improving movement into and out of special care. However, eight of its 30 actions are already classified as “at risk”, including reaching 20 operational beds by the end of 2026, opening a fourth unit in Cork and reducing staff absenteeism below 20 per cent. Tusla says it “deeply regrets” being unable to fulfil its statutory obligation to provide timely access to special care. The strategy reveals a two-pronged response: Tusla intends to increase operational beds, but it is also seeking to reduce demand by ensuring fewer children are referred for special care. That second element is likely to attract particular scrutiny given concerns that vulnerable children who might previously have been recommended for special care could now be refused while the State continues to struggle to provide the secure placements required.

HAS THE MEDIA BEEN SO FOCUSED ON THE FAR RIGHT THAT IT HAS IGNORED THE DANGERS POSED BY THE FAR LEFT? In an opinion piece in today’s Sunday Independent, Eoin O’Malley — an associate professor of political science at Dublin City University and the son of the late Des O’Malley, the former Fianna Fáil minister who broke with the party and went on to found the Progressive Democrats — asks whether Ireland has concentrated so heavily on the threat of the far right that it has failed to recognise what he sees as a growing threat from the far left. O’Malley in response to rioting and looting in France, where protests initially emerged from concerns over school funding, argues that while Marine Le Pen condemned the disorder, “far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon praised the protesters and downplayed the rioting, blaming the police for what happened.” He contrasts the reaction to events in France with repeated political warnings in Ireland about the rise of the far right. O’Malley points particularly to People Before Profit, saying the party celebrated what it termed the “youth revolt” in France and is holding a meeting aimed at building a movement capable of “confronting capitalism”, with protests extending “from the streets of Paris to the streets of Dublin”. His argument, however, goes beyond street protest. O’Malley claims the greater danger from the far left lies in its potential influence over democratic debate, social relationships and State policy. He cites a Government-funded advertisement encouraging grandparents to think twice before hugging their grandchildren and an educational exercise known as “Family A versus Family B”. He says the latter portrayed a traditional Irish family wearing Aran jumpers, eating bacon and cabbage, playing GAA and holidaying in Ireland as inferior to a more diverse mixed-race family. The exercise was subsequently withdrawn, but O’Malley argues that the controversy illustrates a wider ideological direction within the State. He then turns his attention to State-funded NGOs and civil-society organisations, arguing that some have become disconnected from the people they are supposed to represent and instead exercise significant influence over Government policy. O’Malley calls for what he describes as the systematic dismantling of the policy and advocacy functions of taxpayer-funded groups. He stresses that organisations such as the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre perform important work for vulnerable people, but argues that essential services can lose sight of their original purpose when they become captured by political or ideological agendas. His central contention is that while considerable attention has been devoted to the dangers posed by the far right, Ireland should subject the far left and its influence within State-funded institutions to similar scrutiny. He concludes that when publicly funded organisations become focused on ideological objectives rather than delivering the services for which they were established, public frustration increases — particularly when people believe the State is failing to address their everyday needs.

TUSLA IS FAILING OUR MOST VULNERABLE CHILDREN An opinion piece in today’s Mail on Sunday by Liam Herrick, Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, warns that Ireland is failing vulnerable children who are at risk of sexual exploitation, trafficking and criminal exploitation. Herrick points to two recent High Court cases involving children in State care. One concerned a 14-year-old girl with a learning disability who was allegedly being subjected to “horrifying” sexual exploitation by multiple men, while Tusla was unable to provide her with a special-care placement. The second involved a 16-year-old boy who was allegedly being used by older criminals to take and sell drugs and hold significant quantities of heroin and crack cocaine. He argues that these cases should force Ireland to confront whether vulnerable children are being recognised as potential victims rather than simply being viewed through the lens of their behaviour. Research has documented the targeting of vulnerable children, including those in residential care, by groups of adult men, while HIQA has also highlighted missing-from-care incidents and safeguarding weaknesses. Herrick stresses that exploitation does not always look like coercion. A child may believe an exploiter genuinely cares for them or may be drawn in through gifts, affection, drugs or promises of protection and belonging. Under European law, he says, trafficking of children does not require proof of force or coercion. He also highlights what he describes as a major failure in identifying child-trafficking victims. Only ten child victims were formally identified in Ireland in 2024 and 18 in 2025, none of whom were Irish nationals. He argues that these figures reveal how few children are being formally recognised despite evidence that Irish children are being exploited. Particular criticism is directed at Ireland’s failure to fully implement a National Referral Mechanism for identifying and supporting victims of human trafficking. Although legislation was enacted in 2024, Herrick says the mechanism remains unimplemented and that the Government has indicated key provisions will not commence until the corresponding EU directive is transposed by July 2026. He argues that the present system is inadequate because responsibility for identifying victims largely rests with An Garda Síochána, even though exploited children may first come to the attention of social workers, teachers, healthcare professionals or specialist organisations and may be too frightened to approach Gardaí themselves. Herrick concludes that Ireland already has an opportunity to establish a proper system in which identification, safe accommodation, specialist support and effective protection work together. He warns that failing to act would mean continuing with a system that leaves serious gaps in identifying and protecting some of the most vulnerable children in society.

KATE DUGGAN IS CEO OF TUSLA — HOW ARE VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN STATE CARE BEING TARGETED, DRUGGED AND RAPED BY ORGANISED GANGS ON HER WATCH? An exclusive report in today’s Mail on Sunday by Debbie McCann reveals that organised criminal gangs are targeting vulnerable girls in State care, inviting them to “parties” where they are plied with alcohol and drugs before being sexually exploited and raped by predatory men. The report follows the disturbing High Court case of a 14-year-old girl in Tusla care who gardaí believe is being subjected to “horrifying” sexual exploitation by multiple men. Despite the court ordering that she be placed in special care, Tusla told the court that it could not immediately provide her with a bed. Just 15 of the State’s 26 special-care beds were reported to be open because of staffing shortages. Researcher Ruth Breslin of UCD’s Sexual Exploitation Research and Policy Institute (SERP) told the newspaper that the 14-year-old’s case is not isolated. She said organised criminal networks are deliberately targeting some of the most vulnerable children in State care. According to Breslin, gang members can discover where residential care facilities are located and target girls living there. In some cases, girls are collected in cars and taken to “parties” in private homes or hotels where groups of men are waiting. Alcohol and drugs can be involved, while some men allegedly provide drugs or money to other predatory men as “payment” for sexual access to the girls. Breslin said some of the men meet through online forums or dating apps. She warned that the scale of the problem may not be fully appreciated and said research had identified another similar case involving a child in State care. The Mail on Sunday also reports that Garda sources are dealing with cases involving teenage girls and boys in State care who are being “escorted” after being targeted through dating apps. Some female minors are reportedly being drawn into sex work to pay debts, while boys can also be victims of criminal exploitation. The newspaper links the issue to wider concerns about child trafficking. It cites a previous case involving a 14-year-old girl trafficked to Ireland from West Africa, abducted by a criminal gang from her emergency accommodation within minutes of arriving in State care, and later found locked in a brothel where she had allegedly been forced to work as a sex slave. Tusla CEO Kate Duggan told the Mail on Sunday that the agency was aware of concerns about exploitation and said there is intensive engagement with An Garda Síochána to ensure the safety of young people. A spokesperson for Minister for Children Norma Foley said the Minister was “deeply concerned” about criminal gangs targeting vulnerable children and highlighted the serious risks faced by children in the care system. The report raises a stark issue beyond the shortage of special-care beds: vulnerable children already in the care of the State are being deliberately targeted by organised criminals for sexual and criminal exploitation, with serious questions about whether the existing system is capable of identifying, protecting and safeguarding them before further harm occurs.

6,012 CHILDREN TAKEN BY TUSLA INTO STATE CARE WITH GROWING RELIANCE ON PRIVATE PROVIDERS AND ALMOST 1,000 WITHOUT AN UP-TO-DATE CARE PLAN The number of children in State care has surpassed 6,000, according to Tusla’s Performance and Activity Report: August 2026, published this week. The report reveals continuing pressures across child protection services, growing reliance on private providers and thousands of cases awaiting allocation. There were 6,012 children in care at the end of August, including 161 unaccompanied minors — an increase of 197, or 3 per cent, from 5,815 a year earlier. Tusla received 75,771 referrals during the first eight months of 2026, 7,053 more than during the corresponding period last year — an increase of 10 per cent. Re-referrals stood at 18.6 per cent, above Tusla’s target of 18.1 per cent, rising to 21.8 per cent in the Midwest. THOUSANDS AWAITING ALLOCATION There were 17,605 open Safety and Welfare cases at the end of August. Of these, 3,900 — more than one in five — were awaiting allocation, including 199 classified as high priority. In Dublin Mid Leinster, 1,401 cases were awaiting allocation, representing 35 per cent of all open cases in the region. Nationally, only 71 per cent of allocated Safety and Welfare cases were assigned to social workers, with 29 per cent allocated to other professional staff. CHILD PROTECTION NUMBERS RISE SHARPLY There were 1,348 children active on the Child Protection Notification System (CPNS), the fourth consecutive monthly increase and 23 per cent higher than the 1,097 recorded a year earlier. Some 109 children had remained on the CPNS for more than 18 months, while 22 were awaiting allocation to a social worker. Tusla said 16 had been allocated to another professional and eight of the 22 were subsequently allocated to a social worker. ALMOST 1,000 WITHOUT CURRENT CARE PLANS Although Tusla reports that 98 per cent of children in care had an allocated case worker, 134 were awaiting allocation — down from 178 in July but 28 per cent higher than the 105 recorded a year earlier. An allocated worker does not necessarily mean an allocated social worker. Of 5,878 children with an allocated worker, 5,259 were assigned to social workers and 619 to other professionals. Just 84 per cent of children in care had an up-to-date care plan. This means 962 children — approximately one in six — did not. That number increased from 933 in July. GROWING RELIANCE ON PRIVATE PROVIDERS Some 1,219 children — 20.3 per cent of all children in care — were placed with private providers, a 12 per cent increase from 1,084 a year earlier. Reliance on private provision was particularly pronounced in residential care. There were 670 children in residential care, up 18 per cent from 566 a year earlier. Of these, 463 were with private providers, accounting for 69.1 per cent of residential placements. The number in privately provided residential care increased by 22 per cent in a year, from 381 to 463. Among unaccompanied minors, 79.5 per cent were placed with private providers. A further 283 children were in placements classified as “other”, up 30 per cent from 217 a year earlier. Taken together, the figures show increasing demand alongside continuing problems with allocation, care planning and placement capacity. While the overall number of children in care increased by 3 per cent in a year, residential care increased six times faster, at 18 per cent. Meanwhile, 3,900 Safety and Welfare cases were awaiting allocation, including 199 high-priority cases; 134 children already in care were awaiting allocation; and 962 children did not have an up-to-date care plan. Tusla cautions that 2026 data should be interpreted carefully while work continues to align cases with its new regional and network structures.

Worth reading Fr @FlanneryTony opinion given that he has bravely railed for many years against aspects of Catholic Church doctrine and has been censored for doing so

A CHILD IN THE CARE OF TUSLA IS BEING RAPED BY MULTIPLE MEN — WHY IS THE MEDIA NARRATIVE INVERTED TO TALK OF CARE BEDS INSTEAD OF PUTTING THE RAPE GANGS BEHIND BARS? The disturbing case of a 14-year-old girl in the care of Tusla, who the High Court has heard is being subjected to “horrifying” sexual exploitation by multiple men, has exposed two separate failures in the State’s response to vulnerable children. The first is the now well-documented crisis in special care. The second — and arguably even more disturbing — is the apparent absence from much of the public discussion of the adult men allegedly sexually abusing a child. The High Court heard that the 14-year-old, who has an intellectual disability, had been approached by men who brought her to a house in another county and supplied her with alcohol, cocaine and other drugs. Tusla sought a special-care order because of the grave risk to the child, but no special-care bed was available. The seriousness of the situation prompted High Court Judge John Jordan to direct that details of her case, together with two other extremely serious cases involving children in State care, be brought directly to the attention of Minister for Children Norma Foley, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan and Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers. The political response has concentrated heavily on the shortage of special-care beds. Taoiseach Micheál Martin described the girl’s situation as “very serious and deeply worrying” and said the fundamental problem was the difficulty recruiting specialist staff. Tusla, meanwhile, said it “deeply regrets” that it is unable to fulfil its statutory obligations to provide timely access to special care. Those failures are unquestionably serious. Nearly half of the State’s 26 special-care beds remain unavailable, despite court orders involving children deemed to be at exceptional risk. But there is another question that cannot be allowed to disappear behind a discussion about staffing levels and bed capacity: What is being done about the adult men sexually exploiting this child? The child is 14. The adults involved bear responsibility for their alleged actions. Providing a secure placement may be essential to protect her immediately, but protecting a child cannot simply mean restricting where she can go while failing to place equal public focus on identifying, investigating and prosecuting the adults allegedly exploiting her. The wider picture makes the issue still more alarming. The High Court was also told of another teenage girl being sexually exploited by men and a 16-year-old boy being drawn into drug trafficking by adult criminals. These are not merely “placement difficulties”. They involve allegations of serious criminal exploitation of children. There is also an uncomfortable contradiction emerging in the State’s response. At precisely the moment that the consequences of insufficient special-care capacity are being laid bare before the High Court, Tusla’s September strategy reportedly proposes reducing the number of highly at-risk children entering special care. According to the reported strategy, Tusla aims ultimately to have 20 special-care beds open by the end of 2028, with a target of having 20 children on the “at-risk” list by then. The strategy reportedly includes an objective of “strengthening workforce sustainability” and “improving system flow to and from special care”. That approach is already causing concern among legal sources, according to a report by Ann Murphy in today’s Irish Examiner, over the possibility that children recommended for special care could instead be refused and kept in existing placements. The State faces questions extending far beyond the number of beds available. A vulnerable child in Tusla care is reportedly being sexually exploited. Expressions of “concern” and “deep regret” are not enough. The perpetrators must be put behind bars in order to protect other children from the same fate.

RAPE OF A 14 YEAR OLD GIRL IN THE CARE OF TUSLA BY MULTIPLE MEN IS IS NOT SO MUCH ABOUT “RECRUITMENT OF STAFF” AS THE TAOISEACH CLAIMS, IT’S ABOUT THE FAILURE TO IDENTIFY THE GANGS OF MEN INVOLVED AND PUT THEM BEHIND BARS A 14-year-old child with an intellectual disability is reportedly being sexually exploited by multiple men while in State care. Deputy Liam Quaide raised this horrific case directly with the Taoiseach. And what became the “fundamental issue” in the Taoiseach’s response? Staffing. Recruitment. Special-care beds. Those failures are serious. But listen to this exchange and ask yourself: WHO ARE THE MEN? Where is the outrage about the adults sexually exploiting this child? What is being done to identify them, stop them, investigate them and bring them to justice? Why does the conversation so quickly become about finding a secure bed for HER, rather than also putting the full force of the State behind pursuing THEM? This child needs protection. But she should not become the focus of the State’s containment while the adults exploiting her fade into the background. RAPE IS NOT A STAFFING ISSUE. PUT THE SPOTLIGHT ON THE MEN.

TUSLA SAYS THE BOY IN THEIR CARE IS BAKING AND PLAYING CARD GAMES. THE REALITY: ONLINE VIDEOS SHOW HE’S MISSING FROM CARE AND DRIVING AT 200KM/H AGAINST ONCOMING TRAFFIC A report in today’s Irish Times by Kitty Holland highlights serious concerns for the safety of a teenage boy who has been missing from Tusla care for more than two weeks and is reportedly driving stolen cars at speeds approaching 200km/h, including into oncoming traffic. The boy’s father says he fears his son will “kill himself or someone else” unless he is detained and given the intensive intervention he needs. He does not know where his son is or who he is with, and says the teenager is without his ADHD medication and an EpiPen required for a severe nut allergy. The Irish Times says it has seen videos and photographs posted on the teenager’s social media showing him and others breaking into cars, travelling in them and driving at extreme speeds. One video reportedly shows a car speeding through a housing estate before braking violently, while photographs show speedometers approaching 200km/h. The case raises particularly serious questions about the State’s response because the boy is already in voluntary Tusla care and is before the courts on dozens of charges connected with dangerous driving and car theft. He has previously been detained on three occasions at Oberstown Children Detention Campus. At Dublin District Children’s Court last month, Judge Brendan Toale said the case had been “crying out for an application to special care” for a considerable time and referred to the intervention “or lack of” by the State. Despite this, no application for special care has yet been made. The report comes amid an acute shortage of special-care capacity. Ireland has 26 special-care beds, but only 15 are currently open because of staffing shortages. The father says his son’s difficulties escalated after he stopped attending secondary school and became increasingly influenced by social-media content involving cars. He began absconding from home and was at one point found by gardaí 20km away in the company of known drug dealers. The father says he repeatedly sought help as his son’s behaviour deteriorated. He alleges that supports from several agencies — including education welfare intervention, organised daytime activities and counselling — were promised but did not materialise. Eventually, unable to manage the teenager’s increasingly dangerous behaviour, he placed him voluntarily in Tusla care believing this would provide access to the services he needed. Instead, the father says, his son’s situation has deteriorated dramatically. The teenager has moved through several temporary emergency placements around the country and repeatedly absconded. According to his father, he has gone from having no convictions a year ago to 38 convictions now. The report also highlights a striking discrepancy between the father’s account and correspondence from Tusla. While the teenager was missing from care, Tusla wrote that he had “successfully re-engaged with a structured, intentional weekly plan”, was showing “strong motivation to participate” and was taking part in activities including baking, card games and video games. His father described that assessment as “clearly incorrect”. Tusla said it could not comment on an individual child but acknowledged increasing complexity among a small number of vulnerable young people involving mental-health difficulties, substance misuse, disability, exploitation and criminal behaviour. It said these cases require an inter-agency and whole-of-government response. For the boy’s father, however, the immediate issue is safety. After repeated absconding, escalating criminal behaviour and videos apparently showing his son travelling at potentially lethal speeds, he believes special care — or renewed detention in Oberstown — may now be the only way to prevent his son or someone else from being seriously injured or killed.

SHE IS 14. SHE IS IN THE CARE OF TUSLA. ADULT MEN ARE RAPING HER. ANOTHER CHILD IS ALSO BEING RAPED. WHERE ARE THE ARRESTS? A front page report in today’s Irish Times by Kitty Holland reveals that a 14-year-old girl, believed by gardaí to be the victim of “horrifying” sexual exploitation by multiple men, cannot currently be provided with a place in secure State special care. The High Court heard that the girl, who has a mild learning disability and is in Tusla care, believes the men involved “care for her”. She had allegedly been taken by men to a house in another county and given alcohol, cocaine and other drugs to “relax her”. Tusla sought a special-care order because of the extreme risk to the child, but told the court that it could not currently provide her with a bed in any of its three special-care units. Although the system has 26 beds, only 15 are currently open because of staffing shortages. Judge John Jordan described the abuse as “abhorrent” and said the girl should be given a special-care bed “immediately”. He stressed that compliance with the court’s order was “not optional”. In an unusual step, Judge Jordan lifted the in-camera rule to allow details of this case, and a second case involving the extreme sexual exploitation of another teenage girl, to be made public. He also directed that details be sent to Minister for Children Norma Foley, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan and Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers. He said the cases provided a “vivid illustration” of the consequences of the State’s continuing failure to open all available special-care beds and emphasised the “absolute urgency” of doing so. The court heard that gardaí were heavily involved in the 14-year-old’s case and that she had experienced significant trauma throughout her childhood, including witnessing the death of a parent. A second teenage girl in Tusla care was also described as being sexually exploited by a large number of adult men. The court heard she had appeared on social media apparently under the influence of drugs and distressed, and had reported pelvic pain following what she described as “very rough sex”. Judge Jordan also ordered that this girl be detained in special care, describing her as “clearly the victim of abhorrent sexual exploitation by adult males”. The two cases expose the potentially devastating consequences of the continuing shortage of operational special-care beds. Children whom the High Court considers to be at extreme and immediate risk can be ordered into secure care, yet Tusla may be unable to provide the places necessary to protect them.

YOUNG PERSON LEFT ISOLATED IN TUSLA CARE WITH NO EDUCATION, THERAPY OR MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT, HIQA FINDS A HIQA inspection of a Tusla-run emergency residential centre in Cork south-west found serious failings in safeguarding, management, staff supervision and the care of one particularly isolated young person. The centre provides short- to medium-term emergency placements for children up to 17. Its stated capacity is four, but staff shortages cut it to three. Two young people were living there when inspectors visited in July. KEY FINDINGS - No permanent centre manager, leading to poor supervision, limited training, weak communication and insufficient oversight. Staff themselves said they needed more support, direction and training. - No training log, no consistent team meetings and no formal supervision arrangements. - Two similar incidents of young people going missing from care were examined. Significant-event notifications were completed, but the required child protection and welfare report forms were never submitted. The centre's child protection notification log was blank. - No evidence of follow-up, updated risk assessments or revised safety plans to reduce the risk of it happening again. - Of six staff files checked, none showed completion of the third Children First module, "Children First: In Action". THE ISOLATED YOUNG PERSON One resident said they were happy and supported. The other was largely isolated and did not communicate verbally with staff or the inspector. Although they preferred long periods alone, inspectors found little evidence of sustained or creative attempts by staff to build a relationship. Staff seemed unsure how to engage. The young person enjoys art and had been given materials, yet staff had not visited their room to look at their work or used the interest to connect. They were not taking part in structured education, therapy or recreation, there was no clear plan to address their disengagement, and they were not in contact with family, friends or staff. They had also had several changes of social worker and found the frequency of visits frustrating, describing them in records as feeling like "harassment". Social work arranged two professional meetings about the young person's needs. Neither centre staff nor management attended, and the meetings were discontinued. The social-work team leader raised strong concerns about the lack of proactive engagement and coordinated planning. A SECOND CENTRE An unannounced June inspection of a midlands centre (also reported by the Irish Independent) found shortcomings in governance, documentation and oversight, but praised staff care as calm, sensitive and child-centred. Staffing was sufficient. Problems were found in staff files: missing fire-safety training evidence, missing proof of professional registration, an employment reference with no validation date, and incomplete mandatory Children First records. THE BIGGER PICTURE Together, the inspections raise real concerns about governance, safeguarding, training and management oversight in emergency residential care, while showing that the quality of direct care varies widely between services. Children in State care deserve a plan, a relationship and someone who turns up. Who is accountable when they get none?

𝗧𝗨𝗦𝗟𝗔 𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗬 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗖𝗧: 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗦 𝗔 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥? Sinn Féin TD Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh has asked whether Tusla is reducing contact between children in State care and their parents, and whether staffing and resource pressures are behind any changes. The written answers, to Parliamentary Questions 396 and 397, are dated 1 October 2026. WHAT WAS ASKED PQ 396: whether Tusla has directed social work teams to reduce the frequency or duration of access visits between children in care and their parents, and whether access decisions must be based on each child’s assessed needs and care plan. PQ 397: whether Tusla has issued any national, regional or local instruction, policy, guidance or directive to reduce access arrangements between children in care and their parents, wider family or other approved persons; whether any changes have been introduced in 2026 due to staffing, resource or service capacity issues; and details of any such measures. THE MINISTER’S RESPONSE According to the published answers, the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality did not give a substantive reply to either question. The same response was given to both: they relate to operational information held by Tusla and have been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy. The published answers therefore do not show whether Tusla has issued any instruction to reduce family contact, or whether staffing, resources or capacity have led to changes in 2026. IMPORTANT: THESE QUESTIONS DO NOT ESTABLISH THAT ANY REDUCTIONS HAVE OCCURRED. WHY IT MATTERS For many children in care, contact with parents, siblings and wider family is an important way of maintaining relationships, and can matter for reunification. For many parents it is their main opportunity to maintain those bonds. Restrictions on contact can be justified where necessary to protect a child’s welfare. The question is whether any changes are driven by an individual child’s needs or by shortages of staff, funding or services. STILL UNANSWERED IN THE PUBLISHED REPLIES Has Tusla issued any national, regional or local instruction on reducing family contact? Have social work teams been asked to reduce the frequency or duration of visits? Have any changes been made in 2026 because of staffing or resource constraints? Where contact has changed, are decisions documented by reference to the child’s assessed needs? What safeguards ensure children do not lose valuable contact with their families because of operational difficulties? Tusla’s direct replies to the Deputy would be needed to establish what the agency has said. Until then, it would be premature to conclude that Tusla has directed reductions in family contact. Children should not lose opportunities to maintain safe and beneficial relationships with their families simply because the agency responsible for their care lacks the resources to facilitate them. Source: Written Parliamentary Questions 396 and 397, 1 October 2026, Houses of the Oireachtas.

𝗧𝗨𝗦𝗟𝗔 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗨𝗡𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗔𝗬 𝗜𝗙 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗗𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗗 𝗕𝗬 𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗬 𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 Tusla CEO Ms Kate Duggan could not tell the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee whether private care providers the agency stopped using remain active in the wider market. Sinn Féin TD and committee chair Deputy John Brady questioned senior Tusla officials on Thursday, 1 October 2026, during the examination of Tusla’s 2025 financial statements. SIX PROVIDERS CEASED Deputy Brady asked how many providers had been referred to An Garda Síochána over vetting concerns. Ms Duggan said: “We ceased using six providers, but I will have to check how many referrals were made to An Garda Síochána.” He asked: “Are those providers still active in the wider market?” “I do not know.” Asked whether Tusla had re-engaged any of them: “No.” Asked earlier about the status of the Garda investigations, Ms Duggan said: “Two moved to prosecution.” The hearing did not establish that those two involved any of the six providers Tusla stopped using, or that all six were referred to Gardaí. STAFF DOCUMENTATION Deputy Brady said an audit of staff in special emergency arrangements (SEAs) for vulnerable children indicated about 25% did not have required documentation, with a further 29% missing other records such as first aid or fire safety evidence. These figures concern missing or incomplete documentation. They do not automatically mean workers were unqualified or unvetted. Workers in SEAs are not directly employed by Tusla. Deputy Brady said: “There has to be a governance and oversight there from Tusla.” Ms Duggan said Tusla has set up a central compliance unit and introduced additional checks on private providers. HIGH COURT SPECIAL CARE ORDERS Deputy Brady asked how long children have waited for special care beds after the High Court ordered their admission, and asked Ms Duggan to go back as far as possible “because it is important we get the full picture.” She undertook to provide information for recent years. LITIGATION Tusla said cases brought by families were probably in single figures. Of €8.8 million in legal awards in 2025, none related to special care bed failures, Ms Duggan said. SPECIAL CARE STAFFING Deputy Brady cited a High Court judgment by Ms Justice Egan: between January 2021 and February 2025, 177 staff were recruited into special care and 159 left. In 2025, 29 were recruited and 24 left. About 200 staff are needed to operate all 26 beds. Tusla has 98 directly employed, supplemented by agency workers, about 50% below requirement. Ms Duggan said: “We have significant challenges in special care.” Deputy Brady: “Unfortunately, those most vulnerable in the State have not got time.” WHAT REMAINS UNANSWERED How many of the six providers were referred to Gardaí, and whether any are still operating elsewhere. Source: Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee, 1 October 2026.