Dr. Niall Muldoon:

If we want to talk about forward planning, there is a report in place by Mott MacDonald from 2011 outlining what should happen in this situation with Barnahus, Onehouse Galway. It was called the child advocacy centre at that stage. They essentially think that four or five service centres would be sufficient and then the spokes would go out from those. That would not be too far away. Even Galway and the top of Donegal are a long way away for forensic assessment. Maybe we would have one in Sligo, one in Limerick or Cork and one in Dublin. That is the rough sense of it. Those would be the specialised areas and then the therapeutic engagement would be out closer to the home. It is already set up, there are already thoughts and plans in place on how it could be done when it rolls out, and it is hoped it will follow that same pattern. Again, for me, it is about making sure the therapy is there as well. If that piece is tidied up, it will be a big help, but the therapy has to follow. Not all children will need it, but at least they know it is there and it is part of the same system.