A new report from the Child Law Project has highlighted an increasing shortage of suitable care placements for some of the State’s most vulnerable children with District Court judges repeatedly expressing alarm at the situation.
One pre-teen child was a “social admission” to a hospital, because no suitable place could be found for him, and he could not live at home because of severe behavioural issues.
The report examined 106 child protection cases heard in the District Court during the first half of this year.
It found that one in six cases involved difficulties finding an appropriate placement for a child.
In many cases, children were being housed in unregulated Special Emergency Arrangements, with some repeatedly going missing and being placed at risk of criminality and sexual exploitation.
Among other issues featured in the report are parental disability, mental health issues, addiction, domestic violence and the absence of one or both parents due to death or imprisonment.
‘Problem getting worse’
This is the first volume of child care reports for 2026, based on attendance in District Court child proceedings during the first half of the year.
“We have been highlighting the lack of appropriate placements for an exceptionally vulnerable and at-risk cohort of children and young people for the past few years,” Child Law Project executive director, Dr Carol Coulter, said,
“Yet the problem seems to be getting worse rather than better. It is imperative that the whole Government, and not just Tusla, make it a priority to solve this issue,” Dr Coulter added.
The report features applications from Tusla and The Child and Family Agency seeking full care orders for children deemed to be at risk of abuse or neglect, normally preceded by interim care orders, reviews of children in care and from time to time, the examination of legal issues that arise in the course of proceedings.
“While a number of cases feature parental disability, including both mental health issues and cognitive disability, and the absence of one or both parents due to death or imprisonment, what has been noticeable in this volume of cases has been the number of cases where finding a suitable placement for the child has been the main issue,” Dr Coulter said.
‘Impossible to live at home’
“The children involved usually have behavioural problems that make it impossible for them to live at home or in regular foster care. In some instances, suitable foster placements are just not available, especially for older children, leading them to be placed in ‘special emergency arrangements’.”
This was at the centre of 17 cases, which was one in six of the total number of reports.
The report found that in most instances, the child was in an unregulated ‘Special Emergency Arrangement’, from which they frequently absconded, placing themselves at risk of criminality and sexual exploitation.
The report noted that often these children had been deemed eligible for Special Care, but no place was available.