Child Care Law

The High Court has determined that in special care proceedings, the court must adjudicate on applications for costs made by parents benefitting from legal aid in the same way as it would in respect of parents applying for costs who do not have the benefit of legal aid. Delivering judgment for the Hi

A new tranche of case reports from child protection proceedings has revealed "significant and serious systemic issues that continue to blight the lives of children and young people in the care system", the Children's Rights Alliance has said. The charity has welcomed the resumption of the work of th

The Child Law Project has resumed reporting on child protection proceedings, today publishing its first new volume of reports in 18 months. The reports, published online, include cases where judges deplored the number of children without allocated social workers, considered the plight of those in un

Tusla and other government bodies will have a statutory duty to cooperate to protect vulnerable children under proposed legislative reforms. The Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2025 will revise and update the Child Care Act 1991, which governs a range of issues including taking children into care throug

The Supreme Court has allowed an appeal of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, against an order for costs made in favour of a guardian ad litem in plenary proceedings before the High Court. Delivering judgment for the Supreme Court, Mr Justice Gerard Hogan explained that “it must be borne in m

The District Court has concluded an 18-month enquiry into the failure on part of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to comply with court directions, finding that the agency’s systems relating to the handling of care orders and court directions were not fit for purpose and that the agency had

The High Court has expressed that Tusla, the Department of Children and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform need to work together to solve pay issues driving staff recruitment and retention deficits in special care units. Delivering judgment for the High Court, Mr Justice John Jordan con

Vulnerable children are falling through the cracks because of a shortage of care placements and overcrowded courts, according to a report from the Child Law Project. The analytical report identifies trends emerging from three years of court reporting and marks the conclusion of the Project's three-y

The Child Law Project has published its final tranche of reports under a three-year government grant, which highlight the challenge of providing appropriate care placements, allocated social workers and support services for children in care. The latest volume comprises 70 reports — 67 from the

Campaigners calling for the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) to be given powers to sanction Tusla when it fails to meet its statutory obligations will give evidence to an Oireachtas committee today. Three representatives from the Alliance of Birth Mothers Campaigning for Justice (ABC)

Tusla yesterday welcomed a wide range of stakeholders to its second Child Care Law Conference, which put on a spotlight on inter-agency cooperation and looked ahead to proposed reforms to child care law. Speakers at the conference in Mansion House covered topics including the general scheme of the C

The Supreme Court has upheld the orders of the High Court forcing the Child and Family Agency (CFA) to apply for special care orders and granting special care orders in circumstances where the CFA pleaded a lack of resources. Delivering judgment for the Supreme Court, Mr Justice Gerard Hogan emphasi

Family justice expert Anthony Douglas CBE has been appointed to help progress preparations for the planned guardian ad litem (GAL) national service. Mr Douglas is the former chief executive of Cafcass, the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, which represents children in family co

The lack of available appropriate placements for children in care and judicial concern about some vulnerable children in care mark the latest volume of reports published by the Child Law Project (CLP) today. This volume comprises 67 reports: 62 from the District Court, four High Court cases related

The Child Law Project (CLP) has celebrated 10 years of reporting on and analysing child protection proceedings in the courts. A short seminar and reception to mark the anniversary took place at the Distillery Buildings yesterday, addressed by children's minister Roderic O'Gorman and the president of