Ms Maria Joyce:

I think we have already outlined some of those reasons. It is where an institution engaging with a community is already biased before there is any direct engagement or where an agency does not understand or have respect. I am not saying there are not some improvements there and some efforts to try to address some of that, but we are still working with an institution that has staff who do not fully comprehend the way of life and the cultural diversity and have a respect for it. Staff is engaging with families where there is bias, conscious or unconscious.

We also have that distinction as to what is a welfare issue as opposed to a child protection issue and what supports are required to support children in the home or in the community rather than taking them into the care system. We have examples of where some demands by Tusla social workers engaging one-to-one with families in crisis create a situation where the children have to be taken into care. If there are substance or addiction issues, both parents have to undertake that support at the same time and then there is no one to look after the children or keep the family home. Higher levels of poverty and the lack of delivery of services appropriate to the community all factor in on the perspectives of an agency that should be looking at a more intense support within the family and the community and the wraparound supports for that. Yes, where a child needs to be taken out for a child protection issue, absolutely. We would not be saying otherwise, but we know that children are in the care system who, with more direct and intense support to the family and the community, could stay with the family unit.