Ms Kate Duggan:

It is important to recognise that for 2025 we received a 14% increase in investment, or almost €145 million. That was in response to the recognition by the Department and Government that we are a demand-led service. Two thirds of our budget is spent on placements - foster care placements, residential placements, after-care placements and special care placements. Much of that budget went towards this new and growing demand for separated children seeking international protection. I gave an example involving 800 placements. This is a young person who could turn up with literally a backpack with nobody else who is eligible for services under the Child Care Act. Where the person turns up at an office, we have to find a placement for that young person that night so the demand-led part has been well recognised by Government.

Any information that is out there talks about the fact that we are running a deficit of about €60 million this year. This figure relates to current expenditure costs in terms of the provision in particular of placements in foster care and residential care. As we look into 2026, we are in significant negotiations with Government. We need that €60 million to stand still. When we look at costs related to separated children seeking international protection, we are not seeing a reduction in our numbers. We are seeing an increase in our numbers on this time last year. We need increased investment to meet that. In terms of increased demand, we talk about an increase of almost 10% on last year. That will straightaway give one a figure that we are talking about of at least an additional 10% to 15% just in terms of that front door - responding to that need we spoke about in terms of referrals.

On what the Deputy spoke about regarding-----