Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

-----children during the year, therefore, it costs Barnardos approximately €2,800 per child to pay this contract service. He then said in terms of GALs operating independently or from other service providers it is costing the State approximately €4,500 per child. It is already operating on a more conservative basis than other service providers but those two figures alone have highlighted the lack of regulation and the fact that money is floating around, so to speak, and that no one is accountable for it. Paying €2,800 per child, which is the average figure Mr. Finlay gave for Barnardos, is a good deal of money for a court process for one child and one GAL. It might be wise for the committee to seek to have sight of the terms of the tender process. What the Department is seeking from a service provider in terms of the service they will provide and the legal aspect is the key.