Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Watt and wish him well in his new role. I will ask a number of quick questions. I have read Mr. Watt's opening statement, in which he takes up this whole issue of his correspondence with RTÉ after the programme aired. What contact did the Department of Health have with the investigation unit of RTÉ, and with Ms Dee Forbes, in advance of this programme going to air? Mr. Watt's opening statement has five or six bullet points that absolutely refute what was aired and shown to the whole nation. It seems incredible that these points were not all put to RTÉ before the programme actually went to air, however.

I will bundle my questions together if that is okay. Obviously, 29 court cases are pending but many more in a backlog have now been dealt with. I am sure Mr. Watt has been overwhelmed by freedom of information, FOI, requests since this programme went to air. On foot of this, do the Department's data protection or freedom of information officers have percentages as to what extent or how much of the files they had to redact when FOI data was issued to people?

Finally, when we bring all this down and get beyond the lofty levels of litigation and the Department of Health defending itself and setting out its stall, at the hub of it all we have children with special educational needs and their families. As the final contributor today, I will conclude by speaking on this. I was a teacher for 16 years before entering the Dáil. The fact remains that there are still many unmet needs for children and teenagers with special needs.

I ask that in taking on this role as Secretary General in the Department, Mr. Watt will look at one of the huge anomalies. We have special educational needs organisers and child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, on the Department of Health side. There are many disparities and things not adding up. The reality is that over the past 14 months of Covid-19, many of the supports laid on by the Department of Health, such as CAMHS, have not been fully up and running. They have not met virtually. They have not met the needs of children during this period. That also needs to be looked it. It is not all about litigation.