Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 19 January 2017

Public Accounts Committee

Report of the Accounts of the Public Services 2015
Chapter 11 - Guardian Ad Litem Service

9:00 am

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I am raising it and I think that it should be done. If we can do it in the cases, which was right, we should certainly have the information here.

Finally, there is the matter of the cost. There is no competitive tendering for the legal service. There is no panel. I understand that the guardianad litempicks the solicitor. Barnardos is the biggest employer of guardians ad litem. Dr. Lynch did not look at Barnardos' system either? I am not picking on Barnardos. It happens to be the major provider of guardians ad litem. Is it right to say that they gave Dr. Lynch a narrative as to what they did?