Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)

I want to go back to the figure Deputy Farrelly just referenced when he said he would hate to see the headline that it is costing €750,000 per child. However, it is costing €750,000 per child. My difficulty is that when we look at its overall budget, this could be nearly 3% of Tusla's entire budget on 51 children.

The reason I raise this is because I know the huge pressures that Tusla, as an agency, is under in a whole range of other areas. I know the huge benefit of the work that it does in those areas. Any additional services that could be provided to them would be important. The idea is that, for 51 children in special care arrangements, because either there is not an appropriate foster care place or appropriate residential care, they are put in an arrangement in either an apartment, a hotel or a bed and breakfast, and that is costing a significant fee. I am saying I do not believe that investment is well placed for that child. I think Tusla would be far better investing that in helping the child in other ways because the immediate care need, which I appreciate has to be a paramount criterion-----