Maire Devine (Sinn Fein)
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I wish to make an observation that possibly does not need a response. The committee has had representations from Empowering Children in Care, EPIC, the ISPCC, the Irish Foster Care Association, IFCA, and the Children's Rights Allowance. The gender balance is quite striking. I want to make that observation today.

Is there clinical supervision of social workers? I am not ignoring the children but I am ignoring the whole foundation of Tusla and its capabilities and competencies. Is there clinical supervision? Is it mandatory and regular or, as can happen when one is fire fighting, does it go onto the back burner? Can the witnesses comment on the paucity of care received by six children sent outside the State to St. Andrew's in Newcastle where control and restraint techniques such as prone restraint that are banned in Ireland are regularly used. There is also the over-use of antipsychotic medication, leading to physical illnesses, obesity and diabetes.

These children are sent there for specialist care. Is there oversight of the care - or lack of it as appears to be the case - they are given in St. Andrew's hospital? I would like a comment from the witnesses on that. What level of communication is there between the children and their parents who are separated by countries?

It must be a priority for Tusla to provide 24-hour services in whatever shape that may be. The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, ISPCC, did a fairly indepth research on this area. It found that in the North, the Six Counties, there is a budget of €4 million to provide 24-hour care, which includes phone contact and home visits. Much of it can be dealt with over the phone and 15% of it requires home visits. To think outside the box and about inter-agency actions, we need 24-hour mental health services. Unfortunately, the reigning Government does not believe that or it fights against it. Such interaction could serve communities and there could be community-based initiatives to develop mental health well-being hubs in our communities that would have child protection personnel, social workers and community staff who could answer questions and who would be able to provide the necessary mental health services. We need the knitting of those supports more closely together to provide those services.

I do not know if it is possible but can we commission or ask for a report on Tusla's working environment? I know we are examining what the priorities are. Child-proofing society is an important tool that Tusla needs to develop.