Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

My understanding - this is an important point that relates to the Bill - is that if the intake team does not have accommodation for a family with children by a certain time in the evening, for child protection reasons, it will refer them to a Garda station. At that point, a decision is being made that there are no emergency beds. I am confused because everybody is denying there is a protocol in place on this, but clearly something is going on. What is Mr. Kelly's understanding of that situation where a family with children, late into the evening, has not been placed in emergency accommodation and is referred by the intake team to the Garda station? Is Mr. Kelly aware of that protocol? Is that a protocol that has been agreed with the Department and with the DRHE?

Has this been communicated to gardaí? In some instances, when a family present at a Garda station, gardaí do not know anything about it. Will Mr. Kelly clarify the matter because it is important for us to know.