The number of reports of child abuse has reached its highest level in a year.
Tusla says it has increased by a third in a single month.
A select group of people are able to make what are called mandated reports of abuse to the Child and Family Agency.
They include doctors, nurses, gardai, teachers, youth workers and others.
In May, they made 735 reports of child abuse to Tusla – but this rose to 975 in June, the highest since 12 months before.
51% of them related to emotional abuse and 18% to physical abuse.
In June, Tusla also got 140 reports of sexual abuse and 115 complaints of neglect.
Tanya Ward, the chief executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance, says the increase is down to more reports by the gardai during the Covid pandemic.
Tusla says there was an initial drop in reports of abuse during the early stages of the lockdown, but it then made significant efforts to encourage more referrals.
