Dr. Helen Buckley:

Let me respond on the statistic that 3,000 children are at risk. Children are at risk of significant harm if an intervention is not made. That would be the definition of the Child and Family Agency. The underlying point of my submission is that the agency is like a time bomb. It is not coping and will not cope. The quarterly reports it has produced indicate a steady increase in the number of cases that are unallocated. This is likely to get worse when the Children First Bill is enacted because there will be more anxiety on the part of reporters to do their duty and report on children.

On the question of what a more radical strategy would be, I suggest that we boost these supports in the Department of Education and Skills, as Senator van Turnhout said. I agree that teachers are not social workers and need extra resources to help them. Likewise, the health services need extra resources. It is a serious problem that needs serious consideration because it is not getting any better.