Ms Kate Duggan:

No, the automation will allow us to identify the children and where their schools are so that we have the most information possible. That is because right now, for example, on the Tusla case management system, if a child was three at the time, we might not have the name of the school they are in today or we might not have an up-to-date address for them. The automation is about bringing validity to the data we have. For every child, then, a State service will be contacted. For example, if we know Kate Duggan is in third class in Our Lady of Lourdes school, that school will be contacted or visited to determine the child is there and accounted for. If the school has any concerns, there will then be a direct line to Tusla to manage and respond to those concerns. However, where there is no known concern, no further action will be required.