Donegal Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has expressed his “real concerns” about the pressure on the Tusla, child and family service in the county.
He has made repeated representations to the agency over the last fortnight, seeking clarification on the numbers of duty or intake workers dealing with reports from the public or from public servants such as teachers, doctors or the gardaí.
Senator Mac Lochlainn said “I understand that there has been considerable pressure on the duty or intake team over the last while and that the numbers of workers dealing with new cases across Donegal and at the frontline has reached as low as two or three staff in recent times.”
He said that compared to the numbers of workers who would have had duty or intake responsibilities across Donegal in the past, that the numbers have been well down recently.
He added “Tusla needs to ensure that this team has the numbers required to protect children who are vulnerable or who are in danger. I have sought answers repeatedly from the agency over the last fortnight and while I am frustrated that my questions and real concerns have not been answered, I trust that this team will see its number increase and that they will get the support they require from senior management.
“It is also vital that the public and particularly the public servants who interact with the service can have full confidence that their reports are swiftly acted upon”.
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