Dr. Maria Corbett:

I thank Senator Keogan very much for her questions. One of the key things that is always so difficult is to try to understand whether the right children are in care and if the children who are at home are safe and well cared for. Tusla may or may not have eyes on children who live in families where there is domestic violence or chronic neglect and the State is engaging with those children. It is a very important point that is subject to ongoing discussion and concern. In terms of how to address it, one of the critical things the Children's Rights Alliance is doing is in the area of child protection and alternative care. I have just started a post on it this week, literally a few days ago. What we are about to do now is to consult the membership, which is so large. It stretches right across the country, including in rural areas through the various organisations. We are going to consult Children's Rights Alliance members about their experience of child protection on the ground, what they see as good practice, where the gaps are and what the difficulties are. We will integrate the points Senator Keogan made about family support into the work we are doing with them.