Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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I have found this interaction with our witnesses very informative. I had not been conscious of the parent in all of this. I have looked matters through the prism of people who come to our constituency offices, and very often it is about a social protection query or a medical card query, but once one starts to open the box one sees that there are other issues, but one never really fully engages with the trauma or other difficulties that a parent would have in these circumstances. This meeting has been very useful for me in being more conscious about that from now on.

I will not single anybody out in particular, and not to exclude anybody else, but the Clarecare model seems to be most sympathetic and empathetic model. Is this the model that can be replicated and transposed throughout the State? I am not an expert, but if that was the model that could be used it seems to me to really to get down into the weeds of an issue. It really forms the basis of very strong relationships and understanding of people's issues. It probably pulls a lot of information out of people that heretofore they may not have felt the capacity to give. If that was to be the model, I believe it would be a very good model. I would love to have the witnesses' perspectives on that. This is not to denigrate or to undermine anybody else's potential model. I would just like to get our guests' perspectives on whether that could be the model. I believe it is a great model. That is my first question.