Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh Dr. Muldoon agus Dr. McAuley. Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil as an cur láthair. Táim buíoch freisin go bhfuil an cáipéis ar fáil sa dá theanga chomh maith. It is great to see the document produced bilingually. I am very pleased to see it. I am grateful for the passionate and detailed presentation and for the succinct and to-the-point strategy, which is welcome.

I will ask some general questions on the strategy and the Office of the Ombudsman for Children, and I will then go through the objectives.

It was very welcome that Dr. Muldoon said: "Being asked to provide financial and social support and a well-designed transition plan to help an 18 year old live an independent life, after years in the care of the State, should not come as a shock to Tusla or the State and should be easy to deliver on." Both previous Deputies touched on the point. It is a very important point and the State has been deficient in it over many years. I would be interested to know if Dr. Muldoon believes the State is making adequate progress in its preparation for the end of 2017, when there will be a statutory obligation to provide after-care plans. The question is not only whether there is an after-care plan, but whether the plan is satisfactory.

Dr. Muldoon touched on staffing levels and said 1.2 million children is a lot of people to represent. From what he said previously, I take it there has been some improvement. Is it adequate to carry out the work he does? There is some detail on the number of complaints received. How many of the complaints are received from children directly?

Regarding the first objective, I am very interested in the idea of children's rights to impact assessments. How much work has been done on it? How does Dr. Muldoon see it progressing? On the production of research on thematic issues, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan touched on digital media and protection of and support for young people in their engagement with the online world. It is very important and should be considered a priority. Are there other issues that are anticipated to be priorities?

On the second objective, it is very welcome that there is a desire for an improvement in complaint handling. Although Tusla allegedly provides a 24-7 resource, it is not necessarily a 24-7 service. Some of it involves getting in contact with the Garda after hours, which is inappropriate. This applies to the most serious complaints, and it is very important regarding good practice and handling complaints.

The third objective is probably the most ambitious. Some of the issues, particularly regarding 3.2, relate to homelessness and the conditions of children who are in emergency accommodation. Both Deputies touched on it. This relates to children experiencing mental health issues and direct provision. Does the Ombudsman for Children have any direct influence over the Reception and Integration Agency, RIA, and has Dr. Muldoon had any difficulties accessing direct provision centres where it has been required or considered appropriate?