Bernard Gloster, who was in charge of Tusla when the boy went missing, said child protection cases are ‘exceptionally complex’.

The HSE annual report said that Ireland’s population is ‘ageing faster than any other EU country’.

Bernard Gloster acknowledged a “significant challenge” in tackling the crisis, with more than 15,000 children with serious disabilities waiting to access their legal right to assessments.

The HSE said he was not aware of a reported CHI international investigation into the allegations

The HSE chief was commenting following a series of recent controversies involving Children’s Health Ireland.

Mr Gloster has served as chief executive of the HSE since March 2023, having been appointed to the role in December 2022.

Since December 2019 the increase in staff numbers has been 26,000 WTE or up by 21.8 per cent.

After years of delay the first phase of the health digitisation process was launched.

In a statement on Sunday night, the health authority said most services will continue to operate as normal

Concern has been expressed about a rise in admissions in Ireland, with 869 in hospital with flu on Sunday compared to 530 a week previously.

Counsel was responding to questions raised by Ms Justice Siobhan Stack in the ongoing hearing of Prof Lenehan's action seeking that he be restored to his position

Bernard Gloster said the accountability process had begun in relation to ‘several people’.

Mr Gloster said that he  was very conscious that every time the case was spoken of that there was a family involved who were coping with what had been “the worst possible outcome.”

Mr Gloster added that he lived in the area himself and his family attended the hospital.

HSE boss Bernard Gloster said systems were holding up well during the mid-winter pressures