Ms Suzanne Connolly:

It all depends on the age of the child and their level of development, and whether the parents are contesting it. Everyone who is involved in that process needs to be very informed and perhaps be aware of their own limitations. Not everyone is trained in how to work closely with children, how to listen to children appropriately or how to make them feel comfortable. That is why what Ms McKittrick says is really important in the context of the child also being able to have a guardian ad litem.