James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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We agreed that we would seek further information. There is further information even today about this whole issue, which came to the fore when Tusla was before the committee. What seems to have been published today is another risk, that is, children who are in adult accommodation, of whom there are more than 200 according to reports today. The issue we have discussed is the risk of adults being in children's centres. On both sides of this equation, there are serious safeguarding issues. When the Department of justice was before the committee, its representatives were clear that all this was the responsibility of Tusla but in its correspondence, it has indicated that in fact, the legal responsibility is vested in the Department and as there are changes in law, it will go back to being them. However, there are huge issues as this impasse continues between two State agencies that poses real safeguarding challenges that Tusla is clearly highly concerned about and further adverse consequences could arise from that. We need to get the Department of justice to respond to that adequately and perhaps engage with Tusla again on this issue.