Mr. Mark Smyth:

Yes. In terms of what we would be asking the committee to do, we would be asking for support for an immediate cessation of the SOP because, as we said, it will not meet children’s needs and will only exacerbate the existing problem. We were dismayed that the 2018 heath committee recommendations were largely ignored from our point of view. What we really do not want to see is that the work of this 2020 committee will be similarly ignored because otherwise it will be a number of years down the line before this is addressed.. That is why we want parents’ voices not just to be heard but acted on. We do not need more talking shops.

Parents are exhausted. We need to be their voice and advocate for them in order that they will not have to fight. To echo what Ms Murphy said, we do not want to end up with children being put in residential care. That is expensive and ineffective. We know that early intervention works, that it is cost effective and that it is evidence based. We need to be doing it - not waiting around - and trying to rectify the mistakes. Something else I would like to see, which is an aspiration but one the children of Ireland deserve, given that this comes from a rights-based perspective, is children having a right to intervention, not just assessment. Assessment identifies need. It is heartbreaking for a parent who has fought to get their child's needs identified to then have to start another fight for help to meet these needs. We need to ensure, as my colleague, Mr. Allen, said, that assessment and intervention flow from one to other because assessment has to have intervention, for both the children and their families.