Care Services
Dail Éireann — 2026-04-23
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Norma Foley (FF), Kerry

I thank Deputy Kerrane for the question. Tusla has statutory responsibility for the operation of special care and the provision of special care beds. The Department recognises the significant challenges facing special care and is actively engaging with Tusla to address these challenges. Tusla has indicated that difficulties in the recruitment and retention of staff are the primary limiting factors in operating special care beds. The complex needs of children require high staffing ratios, as there is a need for at least one staff member per child throughout the day, in addition to supervisory staff, and the units must be covered on a 24-7 basis, albeit with reduced staffing at night. That means seven individuals for every one young person. Children with particularly complex needs may require up to twice that level of staffing resources, or 14 staff to one individual child or young person.
Department officials continue to work with Tusla to support it in addressing the staffing shortages in special care provision. A new grade and pay scale for special care has been introduced in an effort to increase staff numbers. This new Tusla special care worker grade offers an improved salary scale, with pay at the top of the scale 20.3% higher when compared with the social care worker grade used across services more broadly. A total of €26 million was allocated for special care in budget 2026. This represents an increase of over €6 million on budget 2025 and this investment will increase capacity and enhance provision, including funding for the new special care staff grade, staff well-being initiatives and additional therapeutic supports. As part of these therapeutic supports, Tusla has commenced recruitment for psychiatric nurses in special care.
Tusla has been allocated €188 million in capital funding for 2026 to 2030. In line with the national development plan, €17 million is the indicative allocation for special care. This funding will support Tusla in upgrading, renovating or purchasing special care and step-down units. Two new step-down units are scheduled to open in December 2026 and a third in January 2027. Tusla has commenced a project to repurpose a facility in Cork into a special care centre. This is expected to assist in recruitment outside of the Dublin area.
Tusla is fully focused on increasing staffing levels in special care and has taken significant steps to address the current challenges, with a dedicated recruitment team undertaking targeted campaigns across a range of media, including international recruitment.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-04-23/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:54:48+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-23