Minister Foley announces appointment of Tanya Ward as Chair of the Tusla child wellbeing check

The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley TD, today announced the appointment of Ms Tanya Ward, Chief Executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance, as the independent Chair of the Steering Group for Tusla’s wellbeing check on children whose cases were closed during the COVID-19 lockdown period.

The wellbeing check will focus on the estimated 42,000 children and young people aged 0-18 years that had open cases with Tusla Child Protection Services and their case was closed during the period 01/03/20 -28/02/22 (COVID lockdowns). 

It is expected that around three-quarter of the 42,000 cases relate to child welfare, which can include requests for advice and assistance from families themselves. The remaining one-quarter of cases are expected to relate to child protection cases, where referrals were received. These child protection cases are expected to be prioritised in the wellbeing check.

The Minister has asked the independent chair Tanya Ward to oversee this wellbeing check, so as to establish the safety and wellbeing of children known to Tusla services whose cases were closed during the Covid-19 lockdown period.

Minister Foley stated:

“It is imperative that we take proactive steps to provide assurance about the welfare of vulnerable children. This wellbeing check will seek to provide that assurance in relation to children whose cases were closed during the pandemic. I am committed to providing all necessary resources to support its work.

I am pleased to announce that Tanya Ward has agreed to take on the role of independent Chair of this vital wellbeing check . I would like to thank Ms. Ward for undertaking this role, recognising that she brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to children’s rights. Her leadership will be invaluable in providing independent oversight.”

Commenting on her appointment, Tanya Ward said:

“This wellbeing check has emerged after two desperately sad and distressing cases of young children going missing for several years. Every effort should be made to ensure that we learn from Kyran Durnin and Daniel Aruebose’s cases. This check of the child wellbeing cases closed during the pandemic will be a substantial undertaking. With over 42,000 cases closed during the pandemic, this is a critical opportunity to do right by every child at the centre of these cases and work to establish their safety and wellbeing.”

The primary role of the Chair is to provide impartial leadership to a Steering Group, oversight of the wellbeing check’s work, and independent assurance to the Minister, the public, and all stakeholders that it is conducted rigorously, ethically, and effectively.

The Steering Group will include representatives from relevant Government departments, the HSE, Tusla, the community and voluntary sector, and social work professionals.

An appropriate  mechanism to prioritise cases for review based on risk (e.g. High, Medium, Low) will be developed under the supervision of Ms Ward and the Steering Group.

Work is underway with the community and voluntary sector and service providers to identify a team of professionals to undertake the wellbeing checks. This could include a number of existing Tusla staff, retired Tusla staff and contract staff with the necessary skills.

The wellbeing checks will be a combination of direct contact with families and the use of existing state systems such as school and early learning databases. There is agreement among all state agencies to work collaboratively on this.

The impact  on social workers and social care workers working in frontline Tusla services will be kept to a minimum while the wellbeing checks are being carried out by the dedicated team of professionals. Existing Tusla staff are expected, in the main, to only be directly engaged in relation to any wellbeing concern that is identified during the wellbeing check.

One of the challenges facing the wellbeing check is that large number of families and young adults who leave the country every year. In most cases, there is no legal requirement for them to notify the state of whether these departures abroad are for temporary purposes, such as holidays, or on a permanent basis.

Notwithstanding this, the wellbeing check is a crucial process that will provide a significant level of assurance and potentially identify ways in which the child protection system can be strengthened. 

Minister Foley added:

“I am committed to making all necessary resources available to support this wellbeing check. I have also emphasised the importance of completing this work as soon as practicable, without compromising its thoroughness or integrity. I have full confidence that under Tanya Ward’s expert guidance, this check will provide assurance as to the safety of children whose cases were closed during the pandemic. It  will provide valuable insights to support our ongoing work to safeguard children and support families. Tomorrow, I will also be chairing a meeting of the Children First Interdepartmental Group with the aim of identifying ways of enhancing check-ins on young children right across the system.”

The final composition of the Steering Group will be agreed with the Chair and the Group will be responsible for approving and scrutinising the wellbeing check's methodology and progress.

The Terms of Reference for the Steering Group and the detailed methodology for the wellbeing check will be developed and agreed upon under Ms. Ward’s leadership. The Steering Group will consult with other stakeholders as appropriate such as the Ombudsman for Children and the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection. 

Regular updates will be provided to the minister every six weeks on the progress of the checks. Work is expected to be completed by the end of March next year, subject to the advice and guidance of the Independent chair and the Steering Group.

Notes to editors

The Terms of Reference for the independent Chair are attached to this release.

Tanya Ward has been the Chief Executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance (CRA) since 2012. She is currently President of Eurochild and a former Chair of the National Advisory Council for Children and Young People. She is currently a member of the Programme Board on Senior Cycle Reform and the Just Transition Committee and has served on the Boards of Mental Health Reform, the Law Centre for Children/Young People and Stand Up for Children. She has previously served as an Expert on HIQA’s investigation on the management of child abuse allegations by Tusla and a member of the Governance Oversight Group for HIQA’s independent review of governance at Children’s Health Ireland in the use of implantable devices. Ward is a former Deputy Director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and has an LLM from Queens University Belfast.

Terms of Reference for the Chair of the Tusla’s Child Wellbeing check during the Covid-19 lockdown period

Title: Tusla’s wellbeing check of children whose case was closed during the COVID-19 lockdown period

Appointing Authority: The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality

1 Introduction and Context

Following the request of the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Tusla will conduct a wellbeing check to seek to establish the safety and wellbeing of children known to Tusla services whose cases were closed during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

The Chair is appointed to provide impartial leadership to a Steering Group, oversight of the wellbeing check’s work, and independent assurance to the Minister, the public, and all stakeholders that the wellbeing check is conducted rigorously, ethically, and effectively.

2 Purpose of Wellbeing check:

To seek to establish that children known to Tusla Child Protection Services whose cases were closed during the COVID-19 lockdowns are currently accounted for, are known to a relevant State service or State funded service, and that the service is aware they should contact Tulsa if they have any further concerns. 

3 Scope of Wellbeing check:

All children and young people aged 0-18 years that had open cases with Tusla Child Protection Services and their case was closed during the period 01/03/20 -28/02/22 (COVID lockdowns). 

4 Role of the Chair

The primary role of the Chair is to lead the Steering Group, providing strategic direction and independent oversight to ensure Tusla’s wellbeing check fulfils its purpose, operates within its scope, and adheres to the highest standards of governance.

5 Key Responsibilities of the Chair

The Chair shall have the following responsibilities:

5.1 Strategic Leadership & Governance:

5.1.1 To chair all meetings of the Steering Group, setting agendas, fostering constructive challenge, and guiding deliberations to achieve consensus.

5.1.2 To lead the Steering Group in its scrutiny of Tusla’s methodology for its wellbeing checks to ensure it is robust and ethically sound.

5.1.3 To uphold the principles of fairness, transparency, and child-centredness throughout the wellbeing check process.

5.1.4 To ensure the Steering Group is mindful of the challenges the Child Protection Services workforce faces.

5.1.5 To ensure that Tusla conducts the wellbeing check within relevant legal and regulatory frameworks, including data protection and children's and individual’s rights.

5.2 Oversight and Assurance:

5.2.1 To ensure the Steering Group receives and scrutinises regular progress reports from Tusla focusing on the pace, quality, and consistency of the wellbeing checks across all regions.

5.2.2 To ensure the Steering Group is satisfied that Tusla develops an appropriate prioritisation framework (e.g. High, Medium, Low) of case risks and to oversee it is applied consistently and that Tusla is allocating resources appropriately to ensure the quality of the wellbeing check

5.2.3 To oversee the identification, escalation, and management of any risks, issues, or safeguarding concerns that arise during Tusla’s wellbeing check process.

5.2.4 To ensure that all outputs, including any interim and final reports, are evidence-based, objective, and of a high standard.

5.3 Stakeholder Engagement and Communication:

5.3.1 To act as the independent focal point for the Steering Group members, ensuring effective collaboration between Tusla, represented Government departments and State agencies, and the community/voluntary sector.

5.3.2 To approve, with the Steering Group, Tusla’s written reports to the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality every six weeks on progress, key findings, and significant issues identified as part of the wellbeing check.

5.4 Reporting:

5.4.1 To ensure the final report provides a comprehensive account of the wellbeing check 's findings, delivers clear and actionable recommendations for systemic improvements where appropriate, and is presented to the Minister by the agreed deadline (31 March 2026).

5.4.2 To advise, in consultation with the Steering Group, if the work of the wellbeing check needs to continue beyond the agreed deadlines and/or if the remit of the wellbeing check needs to be adjusted.

6 Steering Group Membership and Support

The Steering Group will comprise senior representatives from:

• Tusla 
• Health Service Executive (HSE)
• Department of Children, Disability and Equality
• Department of Social Protection
• Department of Education and Youth
• Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration
• Department of Health
• Central Statistics Office
• Community & Voluntary Sector (Representative)
• Independent social work expertise 
• Other Departments and/or State agencies may be asked to join as required.

Appropriate legal support will be provided as required.

The Department will provide secretariat to the Steering Group and the Chair.

1. Authority

The Chair is authorised by the Minister to:

• Request any necessary information and reports from Tusla relevant to the scope of the wellbeing check.
• Seek clarification and assurance from any personnel (directly employed or subcontracted) regarding their work on the wellbeing check.
• Escalate unresolvable issues or significant risks directly to the CEO of Tusla and the Senior Management of the Department of Children, Disability and Equality to ensure the purpose of the wellbeing check is adhered to.

1. Term of Appointment

The appointment is for the duration of the wellbeing check from September 2025 until the delivery of the final report on 31 March 2026. There is the option to extend the appointment if the Chair advises that the wellbeing check needs to continue.

1. Methodology and Resources

9.1 Under the leadership of the Chair, a terms of reference for the Steering Committee and a methodology for Tusla’s review of cases will be agreed. 

9.2 Tusla will develop, in consultation with the Steering Group, a methodology, detailed resource allocation (including regional teams, case reviewers, and dedicated contacts in other state agencies), and technical processes for data sharing. 

9.3 The final methodology will be approved and monitored by the Steering Group under the leadership of the Chair.

9.4 Tusla will make all necessary resources available for the wellbeing check in line with the agreed terms of reference for the Steering Committee and the methodology for Tusla’s review of cases.