Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I also wish Ms Langford the best in her new role. It is clear from her opening statement that she brings much valuable experience to the table, particularly in terms of her role in the preparation of the implementation plan and her role within the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. This will be a challenging time for the board because its work carries an enormous amount of responsibility. Apart from the two key functions mentioned by Ms Langford, some of the responsibilities she referred to, for example, making information available, will be critical. Carrying out evaluations of the effectiveness of the services will also be a critical element of the board's work, as will determining the criteria. There are huge challenges ahead for Ms Langford but it is quite clear that in her role as chairperson, she will make the work of the board easier. The fact that Ms Langford has experience with people who have gone through terrible pain and awful suffering will give the board an invaluable insight. Her final sentence really sums up what we all hope the board will achieve, namely, to ensure former residents will truly benefit from the implementation of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund. That is what everyone must work towards and I wish Ms Langford the very best. If there is anything we can do as a committee to help her achieve that, our door is open.