Mike Kennelly (Fine Gael)
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I know it is under a live investigation but my question is about what specifically Tusla has changed since that incident. Two years have gone since his disappearance was reported. That is one of the serious things that has really affected me. I wanted to join this committee to see that the gaps are closing and that no child falls through those gaps.

The witnesses also mentioned the increasing complexity of cases involving children with disabilities or mental health challenges or who face addiction and exploitation and of taking in these children and people with disabilities in special cases. We have an issue in Kerry at the moment where respite care is not available to any person with disabilities. Hopefully, these people are being carefully looked after in these special respite homes.

The witnesses pointed to digital progress and the Tusla case management system, with 140,000 cases across 25 services. That is very impressive but no technology can replace proper staffing, face-to-face care and urgent decision-making. It must be a tool, not a shield. I am coming back from the time of Covid, when every national service we had in State agencies was shut down and there were interviews over the Internet and so on. That was a breakdown, as far as I was concerned, because you learn more from face-to-face engagement rather than digitally. If it takes more staff to retrofit, we should still go back to that style and recover that, and to make cases for people presenting much easier, rather than doing it digitally. I do not agree with it.