Ms Siobhan Greene:

We mentioned, at the beginning, that the Children's Rights Alliance listened to parents when they were thinking about tendering for the service. I know that there were parents in Clarecare and EPIC who participated in that. One of the things that came through really strongly was the need for the independence of the service from the State, so that it would not be a Tusla-provided service. The parents wanted it to be independent. That is why the Children's Rights Alliance tendered for the service rather than Tusla, and why the Children's Rights Alliance has set up a project oversight group made up of independent experts in the area to oversee the service. We report to that, rather than Tusla, which is unusual when Tusla funds the service. It is to meet the requirement that parents specifically asked for in respect of it being an independent service.