Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Yes. I know there is other work on capturing information. Services in this country are very fragmented. The people who are best able to navigate their way through those services are those who have not had challenges in their lives. As Ms Downes will be aware, the cohort in question here are very vulnerable people, some of whom find it very difficult to navigate services. Some Deputies deal with people in that category on an ongoing basis and, as such, have an understanding of the issue. On the issue of fragmented services, I expect to see, for example, some specifics about what needs to be done with regard to engagement with local authorities and advocacy. This may be more a question for the Department than for Caranua, which is now being wound down. There must be a one-stop-shop and a simplified system for people to navigate public services because how to do so is not immediately obvious to many people.

On the issue of survivors, 6,181 survivors engaged with the service. Did all of them get a payment? Can the committee take it that those who engaged with the service received a payment? We know from the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse that there are 15,600 former residents. As such, more than half did not engage with Caranua. What knowledge does Ms Downes have in that regard? What efforts were made to reach that group? It seems made that the people who were more able were the ones who made contact first.