Ms Helen Doherty:

There are many issues in what people have been saying. I would love to debate this all day. Two words that come up probably every day in my job, in conversation or when I speak to my staff are "person centred". Everything we do is person centred and in response to what a person actually needs. When it comes to legislation, we are talking about personal budgets. That enables people to make choices about the support they receive. This is not just about social farming. I totally support what Mr. Le Roux said about flexibility being key. We have become too systemic and too rigid about our responses to people. All of those things can be solved by people having access to their own budget and being able to make choices, with people who know them best and who support and advocate for people, supporting them to make good choices in their lives. That comes with access to a budget. We use that word every week and almost every day.

It is also about allowing and supporting businesses and communities to create opportunities for people and to value the people who are in their own communities. Finding valued social roles is also very important in social farming because we see it a lot. People grow and develop into various roles, not just employment, but often valued roles in their community. Again, it is about that response to what the person wants. If the person wants paid employment, he or she should be supported to pursue and achieve that, but those supports can be difficult to find.

Those working in the system need to be educated. We get involved in talks with third level colleges in Ireland. We go in, inform people about social farming and explain how we can deliver on policy and what they want to achieve in their careers for the people they are supporting. Those are just some of the things we do.