Ms Tanya Ward:

For us, the first reform must involve dealing with the staffing issue. In the same way that the State pays the salaries of primary school teachers, it could take on the payments of the salaries. That would be the first important step and a groundbreaking move. The second reform involves getting a better insight into the cost base for the providers and what supports they need. Some services need higher levels of subsidisation than others, particularly those in smaller, community-based settings which children actually prefer. According to our consultations, children like to be cared for at home by their parents or in a home-type situation. Sometimes those situations are not viable because of the overhead costs. If one thinks about those kinds of community settings, or settings in rural Ireland, that would be an opportunity to provide higher levels of subsidisation for those types of services.