Tusla referred 23 deaths to review panel in 2025

Ireland's child and family agency, Tusla, reported 23 child and young person deaths to the National Review Panel (NRP) last year. This marks an increase of four cases compared to the previous year. The NRP reviews deaths of children in care, aftercare, or those known to child protection services.

Significantly, none of the 23 deaths involved children currently in foster or residential care. Instead, all were individuals known to Tusla services. Of these, four were in aftercare services, and 19 were living within the community. The causes of death were diverse: eight were unknown pending coroner or post-mortem conclusions, three were homicides, three were accidental, four were suicides, and five resulted from natural causes.

The report highlighted that the largest number of deaths, six, occurred among children aged 11 to 16. Five infants under 12 months old also died, along with five older teenagers and young adults aged 17 to 20. The NRP, established in 2010, has reviewed 163 child deaths since its inception.

Tusla also released four specific reports on recent child deaths, Rosa, Barry, Thomas, and Shannon, which involved homicide, accidental death, and suicide. These reports detail the circumstances surrounding each death, including factors like parental history, assessment weaknesses, lack of oversight, drug use, cognitive difficulties, and placement instability, offering insights into the challenges faced by vulnerable young people.