International Protection Bill 2026: Committee Stage (Resumed)
Seanad Éireann — 2026-03-19
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Nicole Ryan (SF), Administrative Panel

I move amendment No. 22:
In page 23, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following:
“Report on capacity of Child and Family Agency
3. (1) The Minister shall, as soon as practicable after the commencement of this Act or of any relevant Part thereof, lay before each House of the Oireachtas a report on the capacity of the Child and Family Agency to discharge its statutory functions under this Act.
(2) A report under subsection (1) shall include—
(a) an assessment of the staffing levels, operational capacity and organisational structures of the Child and Family Agency insofar as they relate to the performance of its functions under this Act,
(b) an assessment of the financial and other resources available to the Agency for the purpose of fulfilling those functions, and
(c) information on the measures in place to support the Agency in complying with its statutory obligations under this Act.”.
This amendment concerns the capacity of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. Under the legislation, Tusla will assume additional responsibilities in relation to unaccompanied minors seeking international protection. These responsibilities include assessing the needs of vulnerable children, co-ordinating their care arrangements and ensuring appropriate safeguards are in place throughout the process. Those are extremely important responsibilities. Children arriving in the State without a parent or guardian are among the most vulnerable individuals in our international protection system. However, we must also be honest about the pressure existing within the child protection system. Tusla is dealing with significant staff shortages and increased demand for services. Serious concerns have also been raised about unaccompanied minors going missing from care. Against that background, it is entirely unreasonable to ask whether Tusla has capacity to take on the expanded responsibilities the legislation proposes.
The amendment simply requires the Minister to produce a report assessing Tusla's staffing levels, operational capacity and resources in relation to these new duties. If we are serious about protecting vulnerable children, we must ensure the agencies responsible for their care have the resources necessary to fulfil that role. The amendment seeks to ensure those safeguards are in place.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-03-19/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:45+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-19