Tusla had more than 82,500 referrals of child protection or welfare concerns last year, according to its annual report.

The child and family agency says that's a 13 per cent rise on the previous year.

At the end of the year about 22,000 cases were open, but 28 per cent of those cases had yet to be allocated a designated social worker.

Tusla says it prioritised cases where children required an immediate response.