Dr. John Lawlor:

Deputy Rabbitte asked me a specific question. There was no gap. I know it has been put about that there was but there was no gap. At all times we had a professional team in place. What became obvious in 2017, and in 2016, was that the idea of vesting all responsibility for everybody - the Deputy referred to child protection - in one person was too much of a burden and was an inappropriate structure. We knew we needed a restructuring, and Children First uses the language of safeguarding, and that we needed to move to something different. When we had a change of personnel in the summer of 2017, contiguous to that we employed Mr. Elliott. He was able to guide us and provide supervision at the same time over that period, and he has done so since. There has been no gap whatsoever. Allied to that, the professional staff at national office are well qualified and experienced in this area and have proven their worth in recent months.