David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)

I welcome the witnesses. They have been here on a number of occasions to speak about the same issues, so I am conscious that we are having the same discussion over and over again. I am struck by what both opening statements said, which is that we need delivery and we need to move on all these issues.

There is commonality across the two opening statements and with what is in the Law Reform Commission's report, which is substantial. I read it again yesterday in advance of this committee session. A huge amount of work was done by the Law Reform Commission and much of what it set out in its report is echoed in the two opening statements. We can take as given that the experts and stakeholders agree that we need an independent safeguarding authority, proper legislation and a statutory legal framework to ensure we have proper adult safeguarding.

For the purposes of the committee session, I am acting as rapporteur for the committee to do a report, which is designed to put pressure on the Government and Minister to deliver. We want to set out what we see as the immediate concrete steps that need to be taken and how to progress them. It will be similar, I imagine, to the roadmap set out by the two organisations.

Any of the witnesses can take this question. Will they explain in as wide a sense as possible what they mean by safeguarding? Sometimes it can be seen to have a narrow remit, through the prism of health, as outlined in one of the opening statements. I know it is wider than that. Perhaps Ms Rickard-Clarke could set out her and her organisation's interpretation of what safeguarding is in its widest sense.