Ms Marissa Ryan:

Just to add briefly to that, I was struck by what Deputy Sherlock said, which was that he had not conceived of parents of children in care as a group. That is the way it is in Ireland. Children in care are also an under-represented group. While our current support service is so welcome and is a great step forward, when the young care leaver parents were consulted, the majority of services they wanted were around court proceedings but it was very evident to us and to them that they needed many other supports as well. While support around court proceedings is vital for them when their children are taken into care or become subject to discussion on being taken into care, there is also a huge unmet need there around mental health, and all of the other areas. It is that inter-agency collaboration that is important, so that it is not just our organisations, Tusla or the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth taking an interest in this group, but also the Departments responsible for justice, health, and social protection coming together and realising this is a priority cohort. Nobody wants to see parents in a situation where their children are being taken into care. We have to get in as early as we can to support people and to protect the parent and to protect the child and have their rights realised. It is not always possible, of course, but we could all be doing more and we have all have been saying that today. I really recommend that this pilot is something the committee continues to monitor, take the learning from and look at and advocate for as the Chair said. I thank her for that.