The number of unaccompanied Ukrainian minors requiring Tusla care or accommodation has increased by more than 50 per cent since last year, with Ukrainians now the largest national cohort of unaccompanied children the State cares for.
The vast majority are boys aged 16 or 17, said the agency.
Figures provided by Tusla 176 show that Ukrainian unaccompanied minors were referred to it between January and the end of October last year.
In the same period this year, 265 Ukrainian children or young people were referred to it.
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The 265 Ukrainian young people referred to the end of October compare with 161 children from Somalia, 65 from Afghanistan, 54 from Vietnam, 19 from Pakistan and 11 from Albania.
Asked about the total number of unaccompanied children seeking refuge in its care, the agency said that, as of October 30th, it was supporting 573 unaccompanied minors, 222 of whom were Ukrainian.
Numbers of Ukrainian children and young people arriving fluctuated through the year, from 10 in each of April and May, to highs of 50 in July and 47 in September.
Central Statistics Office figures published on Wednesday show the number of Ukrainian men aged between 20 and 24 arriving into Ireland has increased by 84 per cent since September last year. The conscription age in the war-torn country was lowered from 27 to 25 in April 2024.
Tusla can take younger unaccompanied children into care under section 4 of the Childcare Act. In the cases of older children, typically aged 16 or 17, they are given accommodation only, which is provided by private operators in what are known as special emergency arrangements.
Of the 222 Ukrainian minors in Tusla accommodation at the end of October, 21 were in care and aged under 16, while 199 were 16 or older and accommodated under Section 5, with a further two in care under separate sections of the legislation.
Asked whether the increase in Ukrainian unaccompanied minors referred is putting a strain on Tusla’s resources, a spokesman said: “The challenge of upscaling services to respond promptly to the number of unaccompanied minors arriving in Ireland is ongoing.”
He said the “global factors affecting this are outside of the control of Tusla”, which is making “best efforts” to accommodate these children in “as safe a manner as possible in line with their care needs”.
Last year, he said, Tusla commissioned an additional 20 centres for unaccompanied minors. These provided an additional 128 registered residential beds.
“The main challenges for the agency in this area relate to the provision of accommodation and the need for upscaling, inclusive of the need for appropriately trained staff and access to services, to meet this increasing number of arrivals and their needs.”
