Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes, I suspect it will be motivated by budget. That is what I wrote in my notes. I have been on the prosecution side of child sexual abuse cases and seen them. Because they are held in camera, they are not out in the public and not seen. As a result, I have seen this specialist Garda interviewing and it is exceptional. That is going back 12 years, when I was last involved in such cases. Where does it differ? I want to slow this down. Everybody in the room assumes everybody will understand what this is about. Perhaps we can slow down and say how it is different. I have seen the child interview model. Doll's houses and things like that have been used to assist children is describing what has occurred. I would like to discern the difference under this model.

For my second point, I will raise a concern I have. If we only have three centres in the country, will the same people be dealing with cases? If the intention is to elicit better evidence and to bring prosecutions home, is there any risk or danger that the presumption of innocence will be undermined? How is that safeguarded within the model? If a child is referred to the service and this model is deployed, does any risk arise? I am sure there are safeguards and that this has been well thought through. I am just anticipating things that the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and others might bring up in due course. It would be good to think about that.

On the process, at what point is the model engaged?

We have forensic and medical. Is that at the point when a child contacts the Garda station? What are the mechanics of how this rolls out and the experience of it?

I will leave it there. If there is anything else, I will come back in the next time around.