Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am sure I could give Dr. Muldoon 25 minutes and we could probably fill that out. It is one of those issues with which we have to grapple. I see that Ms Connolly is indicating. I might throw in one more question for Barnardos. It seems to me that young people do better when they have a sense of purpose and when they are involved in things. While sport is obviously excellent, sometimes there is probably too much emphasis placed on that and other things are needed. The Grow It Yourself programme and Fighting Words are examples of giving people a sense of purpose and a sense of community, which is all too often absent in modern society. I must acknowledge go raibh Fighting Words againn le linn na paindéime sa bhaile agus scéal faoi lighthouses agus gach rud eile. Is clár an-úsáideach a bhí ann.

This is my question for Barnardos. There are two primary elements and there is a bit of a crossover. There is addressing issues as they arise and ensuring people have access to treatment and then, of course, there is trying to prevent it. In between, we are trying to prevent a minor or intermediate issue for people from escalating to a more serious issue. In all of these things, however, we as a committee and an Oireachtas need to identify what works and see how we can persuade the people who have the chequebooks to implement it. I am encouraged that the Roots of Empathy programme has a strong evidence base and that there is international evaluation. Can Ms Connolly tell us a bit more about the outcomes of Roots of Empathy? How can the value that brings be demonstrated to the HSE and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to see it rolled out better?