Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Education was the most complained-about issue last year with 40% of complaints relating to education, access to school places, bullying, school transport, the State Examinations Commission and access to complaints procedures in schools. What are the procedures to make complaints about education? Is there a resolution in these cases? For example, if a board of management decided to change policy in a school, what would be the procedure for that? The witnesses might come back to me on that.

Some 23% of the health complaints were about services within hospitals, CAMHS, children's disability network teams, and HSE-funded services providing supports for children. This is a lot. Do the witnesses feel enough is being done correctly? Is it staffing? We have the CDNT in Carlow and there are so many concerns because there are no staff. We have no psychologist and, would you believe, no one to answer the phones to get back to the parents. How do we try to sort these issues, for the staff as well? I feel for the staff and for the parents and the children.

Will the witnesses tell us more about the 4% of complaints about early learning settings and, again, the issues with access?

Regarding the Internet and phones, what is the risk with teenagers? As the witnesses said, more teenagers are harming themselves, their families and communities.

Other issues the witnesses highlighted were mental health services for children, school places for children with additional needs, services to follow assessments of needs, long waiting lists for children awaiting life-saving spinal surgeries and other issues I have raised, as have the witnesses. How do we try to sort this? What happens next? What do the witnesses believe we can do to try to find a way to help this?

The report calls for a radical and brave reimagination of our mental health services for children. Again, will the witnesses speak to what we can do? These issues come up at our clinics daily, from parents, families and relations. It is tough for staff, for families and for the children. We really need to find more solutions.

I thank the witnesses. I am sorry if these questions were asked but I was in the Dáil and have just come in.