Tony McCormack (Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the team from Tusla for coming in today and for the opening statement. It is disappointing the data we require is not being taken or the witnesses do not have it. Data is power, and when we are dealing with an ethnic minority group like Travellers, the more data we have, the more specific programmes we can put in place because we will know exactly where to target. I hear the witnesses that this is something they will be working on in the future. What specific steps is Tusla taking to build trust and improve engagement with Traveller families given the long-standing concerns the witnesses mentioned about the fear of child removal and a lack of cultural understanding within the child protection services? If we look at that and then we go on to representation and cultural competence, can Tusla outline how many Traveller representatives or culturally competent staff are currently employed within the child protection and family support teams? What measures are in place to ensure staff receive ongoing cultural awareness training? What targeted early interventions and family support initiatives are being delivered specifically for Traveller families to prevent crises and reduce the need for child protection interventions?