Over a quarter of open cases with Ireland’s child and family agency have no social worker appointed to them in Carlow and Kilkenny.
As of the end of July 2016, there were 1,139 open cases involving local families and children, in the hands of Tusla, in the Kilkenny/Carlow and South Tipperary region.
Of those, 26% – meaning 300 cases – have still not been assigned any social worker.
This is the 4th highest figure in the country.
The stats have been released by the Social Democrats following a parliamentary question put to Children’s Minister, Katherine Zappone recently.
Dublin South West, Kildare and West Wicklow have the highest percentage of open cases awaiting allocation, at 54%.
The Midlands and the Cavan/Monaghan regions are the only other areas with a higher percentage rate of cases without a social worker than Carlow/Kilkenny.
