Ireland's health and social care watchdog, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), has warned that placing vulnerable children in hotel rooms poses "significant" safety and safeguarding risks. The findings were detailed in an inspection report published on Tuesday examining the national out-of-hours child protection service operated by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.

The inspection, conducted between 24 March and 2 April 2026, assessed the service against nine national standards for the protection and welfare of children. HIQA determined that the out-of-hours service was non-compliant with six standards and substantially compliant with three, citing unresolved governance issues, inadequate risk escalation procedures, and insufficient resources.

According to the report, Tusla's out-of-hours service has faced severe constraints due to limited access to emergency residential care placements, resulting in some children being placed in emergency hotel rooms designated as Immediate Places of Safety (IPOS). While children in these settings are supervised by agency social care staff, HIQA highlighted significant concerns regarding potential negative impacts on children's wellbeing and extra safeguarding risks associated with unregulated arrangements.

HIQA also identified significant regional disparities in how out-of-hours care is delivered. Dedicated social work teams directly support children in Dublin, Kildare, and Wicklow, whereas care outside these counties relies on on-call social workers. The inspectorate noted that children supported by on-call staff faced delays in receiving emergency services and experienced limited in-person contact.

Despite highlighting systemic deficiencies, inspectors commended social care staff for their dedication to protecting children, citing examples of high-quality out-of-hours safeguarding work. The report noted positive steps taken over the preceding 12 months, including improved referral screening, better communication with children, and upgraded auditing systems for casework.