Mr. Seamus Hempenstall:

As mentioned by the Minister of State, Kathleen Lynch is chairing the committee. It is fantastic working with her. As the Minister of State knows, Kathleen Lynch has plenty of energy and great experience. It is a significant programme of work that the task force is dealing with, and a complicated issue to deal with as well in terms of the needs of people such as prisoners and ensuring that they can access supports. The committee is due to report by the end of the year. It is working on an interim report as well at some point this month. The committee comprises a range of colleagues from both Departments, the HSE, the Prison Service, the Probation Service and An Garda Síochána. As mentioned by the Minister of State, it takes into account the crisis resolution issue - 24-hour services, diversion programmes and how mental health supports can fit in with that and the Mental Health Act and the work being done on authorised officers and how that will impact too. It is very complicated. In terms of the issue that we are trying to work out, as in regard to many public services, it can happen that there are a lot of local arrangements in place and strong personalities or particular people working in particular areas and systems that can work very well. The idea behind the task force is to try to get best practice and to share that so that there is structure for people such that when things change in terms of staff - we are all aware of the issues around recruitment - people have a system that they can use to keep the service going as we move along.