Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for the presentation.

The more presentations on Brexit we hear, the more I am very struck by Roy Keane's adage, "Fail to prepare, prepare to fail." There is no doubt about the lack of preparation for what we are all going through. Many issues are out of our hands. We would all like a soft Brexit. I do not think anybody would disagree with what Ms Brady said about the common travel area. Northern Ireland being a special case and the Good Friday Agreement are the biggest cards to play.

I have a few questions. Who is listening to what the Children's Rights Alliance is saying that can make a difference in the context of what it is saying and that can make what it is saying happen? Ms Ward talked about working with people in Scotland, England and Wales. The Children's Rights Alliance must talk to people in Europe. What alliances or groups is it talking to in Europe? They are the people who will be at the table when it comes to negotiations on a soft Brexit or hard Brexit.

My next question concerns what Ms Ward said about Theresa May's recent announcement. As a result of what Ms May stated, I think we will be relying more on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Is the Children's Rights Alliance considering, from a legal point of view, where this might make up for the shortfalls we could see come down the line in the context of the work it is doing?