The Foundation for Social Welfare Services (FSWS) handled more than 27,000 cases in 2025, a 5% increase on the previous year. The figure is significant, but its real meaning goes well beyond statistics. Behind every case is a person, a family, a child or an individual facing circumstances that may be difficult, painful and, at times, overwhelming.

These are not merely numbers to be recorded in an annual report. They represent people who need assistance, families struggling to cope, victims seeking protection, young people who need another chance and individuals trying to rebuild their lives. Each case carries its own story, and each deserves to be treated with the attention and resources it requires.

The increase in demand for social services should therefore be seen as both a measure of the work being done by the FSWS and a reminder of the responsibilities facing the government. If more people are turning to the foundation, the priority must be to ensure that it has the resources, personnel and facilities needed to respond effectively.

The initiatives undertaken in 2025 demonstrate the importance of this work. The Għabex emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence, the New Beginnings project addressing human trafficking, and the Second Chance project supporting vulnerable young people are examples of services that can make a tangible difference to people's lives.

For someone escaping an abusive relationship, an emergency shelter can represent safety and the possibility of starting again. For a victim of human trafficking, specialised support can be an essential step towards regaining independence. For a young person who has lost direction, the right intervention can help prevent present difficulties from becoming lifelong obstacles.

The government has finite resources and must make choices about how public money is spent. Those choices should reflect the needs of society, rather than the political benefits that particular expenditure might generate.

Lavish events designed to promote the government, its achievements or individual political figures may create attractive photographs and favourable publicity, but their lasting value to ordinary citizens is questionable. The same applies to lucrative contracts and generous remuneration packages for the heads of public entities and quangos, particularly when questions can reasonably be asked about whether such expenditure represents the best use of taxpayers' money.

This is not an argument against all public events or against paying competent professionals fairly for their work. It is an argument for proportion, accountability and priorities. When social services face growing demand, every euro spent elsewhere should be capable of withstanding scrutiny. Public funds are not the government's money to distribute according to convenience. They belong to the taxpayer and should serve the public interest.

The FSWS also deserves the resources necessary to retain qualified staff, provide appropriate training and maintain the quality of its services. More than 1,000 employees and approximately 200 internal training sessions in 2025 indicate the scale of the organisation's responsibilities. Expanding access without ensuring sufficient capacity would risk placing additional pressure on the very people expected to deliver support.

Ultimately, the increase in cases should prompt more than acknowledgement at the launch of an annual report. It should encourage a serious assessment of whether the foundation has everything it needs to meet growing demand.

People who approach social services are not asking for favours. They are seeking assistance at a time when they may have few other options. Their circumstances deserve dignity, professional care and timely intervention.

If the government has money available for self-promotion and expensive appointments, it should also have the determination to direct more of it towards organisations such as the FSWS.

That would be public money well spent: not on appearances, but on people whose lives can be changed by the right support at the right time.