Dr. Fergal Lynch:

We certainly maintain significant contact with that Department and we regard child homelessness as an issue of serious concern. We are anxious to help in any way we can. We have taken a number of steps. We sit on the interdepartmental group on Rebuilding Ireland. Through a sponsors' group, we engage on Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, where we examine the overall provision of services in various Departments including that of Housing, Planning and Local Government. We engage through Tusla contacts and, for example, through the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, which has a joint protocol with Tusla on interagency co-operation in respect of homelessness. We try to support children in the context of a specific childcare scheme for those who are homeless. There is a specially constructed part of a childcare scheme, which covers children who are homeless. While the issue is not our direct responsibility, we take it seriously in respect of the types of supports we offer for children and families who are homeless.