Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will ask a few questions and make an observation. I refer to Mr. Lynch's opening statement which is an example of the difficulty of the job facing the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and Tusla. On the one hand, when we think of children, most concentrate on the good news and the early childhood strategy and everything like it. There are a lot of positives within the opening statement, but much of it referred to ending the detention of children in adult prisons, something on which the Department has been working. The opening statement also mentioned trying to publish a legislative proposal for the guardian ad litemsystem and a new bail supervision scheme. Mr. Lynch went on to talk about child protection issues, in particular, the policies and operations of An Garda Síochána and Tusla. We are talking about children and much of the opening statement was about the criminal justice system and engagement with it. That is only an observation; I do not have a question. For those who just scan over these things, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs has a lot of dealings with the Department of Justice and Equality, An Garda Síochána and Tusla. I have noted what is in the opening statement and have no question about it.

I do not see any mention in the opening statement of juvenile liaison officers and probation services. What systems and procedures are in place? Will Mr. Smyth respond because Tusla seems to have a lot of dealings with the criminal justice system?