Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their attendance, for expressing their views and concerns and for providing this information. The opening statement from the Ombudsman for Children's Office concerned me. Ms Ward stated:

Parents have also told us how they are too afraid to admit how exhausted and stressed they are because whenever they have, the HSE has referred them to Tusla and questioned their fitness to parent. Other parents say they have referred themselves to Tusla due to the impact on their other children, in the hope of triggering the support they need for the child with the complex issues.

Can the representatives from the Ombudsman for Children's Office discuss this further in terms of supports for parents and issues of awareness? Can they also discuss how Tusla and the HSE can work together better to support families and find suitable placements when a family reaches the crisis point of not being able to care for their child at home?

Dr. Hillery stated that co-operation, governance and regulation were important. Regarding the transfer of specialist disability services from the Department of Health to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, it is important that there be good integration with mental health services and that mechanisms be introduced to support this. Can the witnesses discuss this matter and set out what improvements are needed at departmental level? We have debated this issue at many meetings. Many Departments are busy in their own silos. Due to Covid and online meetings, though, we are beginning to work together. I saw that when I was a Minister of State in the Department of Health with responsibility for the national drugs strategy, public health and well-being. It was one of the first times that officials from the Department of Health had visited the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. That was about three years ago. As such, I can understand what is happening, but we need to do much more and spend more time working on this. Do the witnesses have views on how the Departments, which are busy, can work together?

Will HIQA discuss the roll-out of person-centric planning in designated centres for children with disabilities and what the key barriers are? Has the commencement of the assisted decision-making legislation helped the transition?

I will leave it there, as I do not wish to overlap with what others have asked.