Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 21 June 2017

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs

Foster Care Services: Discussion (Resumed)

9:00 am

Mr. Jim Gibson:

To follow up on the commentary from Mr. McBride regarding therapeutic services, the Child and Family Agency is an evolving agency. It is building new services. In Deputy Funchion's area a pilot project has commenced with a therapeutic, community-based team in partnership with strategic partners, namely a family resource centre and Tusla. We have in place a psychologist and an array of therapists to meet the overall needs of children in our care or children who are known to our child protection services. They can have assessments and engage in play therapy. Deputy Funchion is more than welcome to meet those involved. I can arrange for her to have an engagement with the local team if she so wishes to see the set up of that project, which we would like to replicate across the country.