The Pat Kenny Show The state is failing some of its most vulnerable children - what can be done?
Mar 28, 2026
Dr Niall Muldoon, Children’s Ombudsman for Ireland who champions children in care, outlines a care system under strain. He discusses unregulated emergency placements and rising use of private residential care. He highlights falling foster numbers, kinship carers lacking legal recognition, social worker turnover, and gaps in aftercare and funding.
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James Moved 35 Times In Three Months
- The ombudsman recounts a boy named James moved 35 times across special emergency accommodations in three months and sometimes left in Garda stations.
- That case illustrates systemic failure to provide stable placements or proper planning.
Demand Surge Has Multiple Causes
- Referrals to Tusla have risen 100% in ten years due to population growth, refugee arrivals, more reporting of domestic violence, homelessness and poverty.
- These multifactor drivers strained capacity and increased reliance on private providers.
Foster Care Rates Have Declined
- Ireland's foster placement rate fell from about 92% to 85% of children in family-based care, increasing pressure on residential and private options.
- Muldoon links the drop to long stagnation in foster supports and allowances over 12 years.