Ms Fiona Larthwell:

I can address that question. We are finalising the policy at present. There is a sequencing issue. We have to have the policy first because we were tasked by a Government decision to develop a national policy for the health and social care sector with regard to adults at risk of abuse. Our intention is to go to public consultation as soon as possible. It had been to have been done by the end of this year but we will probably see it very early next year at this stage. Once that is done, we have to have a costing study and bring that as a package to Government for approval. At that point, we will be able to start drafting any necessary underpinning legislation. However, the very important thing for us in the first instance is to get the policy finished, out there, active and operational. Thus, we have secured €4 million not just to help expand safeguarding services across the HSE to echo the Sláintecare requirements in the regional health authorities, but to start to roll out the new structures we envisaged under the policy.