Dr. Maria Corbett:

HIQA inspects some of the residential care settings that children are in, but Tusla inspects others. There are two inspectorate systems based on, in effect, a legal issue whereby Tusla does not have the remit to inspect all settings. It is an issue that has been discussed for a long time. We need all of the residential settings to come under the remit of HIQA.

In terms of the quality of residential care, HIQA reports can provide their own evidence. There has been concern recently that when Tusla does not have enough beds, whether in foster or residential care, it has been forced to find accommodation for children in unregistered placements, which have been referred to as special emergency arrangements. Clearly, Tusla does not want to do that. It is an emergency response. It has monitored and inspected such settings. There has been real concern about the quality of some of those services. That is a matter of public record. It is something we do not want to become embedded in the system. We want to ensure that any child placed officially in care is placed in a registered placement.

Some of the IPAS centres are outside of my remit and, therefore, I will not comment on them.