A report on child protection and welfare services in Galway has identified several shortcomings in relation to the care of vulnerable children.
The HIQA inspection has raised a number of concerns about how Tusla is managing cases in the administrative area, which includes the city, Connemara, and north and east county Galway
HIQA said the Galway North network was assessed against four national standards and found to be not compliant with two of these.
The report, following checks in late February, found in most cases, children at risk of immediate harm were responded to in a timely manner
But, some problems arose in the follow-up - with lengthy delays regarding referrals to a social worker or medical assessments, and 'significant gaps' in some childrens' records.
The report found a resource deficit, 'ineffective' systems to monitor compliance and 'poor oversight' of staff caseloads.
In a number of cases, it also found that requirements to notify gardaí about suspected child abuse had not been completed - or completed in a timely manner.
Seven referrals were not reported at all, while there were delays of between eight days and over three months in notifying gardaí about another five abuse referrals.
HIQA escalated two individual cases for immediate action during the inspection and requested an immediate review of all open and closed physical abuse cases.
HIQA said the response provided by Tusla demonstrated actions had been taken, or were planned, to address these concerns.
