Ms Kate Duggan:

We have a challenge in the agency in finding emergency placements. We have been very open about the fact that we have had to use unregulated emergency placements at times. When we talk about emergency placements, that can be An Garda Síochána in the middle of the night having to invoke a section 12 because children are in danger and children being removed from their home in a Garda car in the middle of the night and brought to our out-of-hours service. An immediate place of safety has to be found for them. There was a history of where they may have been left in Garda stations or hospitals. This is something we have not had and is not something we want for children and young people. In terms of the demand on our services more broadly, there is mainstream demand and anything up to 100 young people from the separated children seeking international protection service and turning up at our offices per month. These are unaccompanied minors.