Mr. Bernard Gloster:

The source of the question is what is driving the welfare concern.

Taking the broad remit of an agency like Tusla, where the child is in danger of being harmed by others or where others are not paying attention to the child's welfare to the extent that there is a danger, that is of interest to us. That is not to say we are not interested in other situations, but when it comes to something like significant disability, autism spectrum disorder or mental health issues, the expertise for primarily leading the care response involves a health service response usually supported by Tusla. If it is a protective response, it is led by Tusla and sometimes supported by the HSE. That is what the joint protocol is there for. The Ombudsman for Children-----