Gillian Toole (Meath East, Independent)

I thank everyone again. I will go in reverse order to take a shortcut. The witnesses' DPO comprises five groups. Are there others?

Have the witnesses written to or corresponded with the other Oireachtas joint committees? Every day is a school day; I learned much this morning. Have the witnesses made contact with all the other committees as well? I know the IDS's human resources are scarce, so I do not know how that would work out but certainly, here is a good place to start.

In terms of preparing budget submissions, is that something in which the witnesses are currently involved? I would see that as a future agenda item for us. I will make some suggestions following on from Mr. Darmody's and Ms Darmody's point about knowing therapists and psychologists who are available. The Chair can correct me if I am out of order or if this is something we are not capable of doing, but we have the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, and there are treatment abroad schemes that the HSE runs and refunds. I am wondering in this instance whether the committee could correspond with the HSE to request a special fund using these, and that the conditions could be broadened whereby these funds could be used to access the services of therapists who are qualified and who will meet the requirements. That is one suggestion. The other is in terms of private therapists. There are people in my area who I have worked with on an ad hoc basis - I am just doing it off my own bat to try to help. The other suggestion is that the private therapists gather and document as much information as they can about the starting situation and the outcome. That involves talking to the families and getting the children's feedback so that there actually is a body of evidence being prepared. There are so many gaps that knowledge is power in terms of pulling all that together. Perhaps that is something that is currently happening in County Tipperary, but if not, that is a suggestion.