Ms Gillian O'Connor:

The Deputy is right about the sponsorship model, which can come from Tusla, the public health nurse or the Department of Justice. In terms of community after-schools, that piece would come from Tusla. We believe that it is a barrier for many parents. They have fears and concerns about the sponsorship piece. That relates to the holistic approach of community after-schools and the nuanced work that we do with children and their families. We are often based in communities for a long time and so have built and developed relationships. It takes trust and care to be able to ask parents to give information and support the work in that way, particularly for people who live in challenging circumstances or in communities that experience challenges with State agencies across the board and for all sorts of different reasons. We believe it is not an appropriate model or space whereby parents and children need a referral to go to community-based activities, clubs and after-schools. Community projects are at the heart of communities so it is important for us to nurture, develop and retain trust. That is why a funding model needs to be specific to the needs of community after-school care and operate outside that idea of sponsorship.