Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

That is correct. I spoke about this at the joint committee meeting when I said that I hoped the appointee would be in place before Christmas, so that "shortly" could be within the next few weeks. Clearly, the person appointed will have to service notice, assuming he or she is employed somewhere else. I have referred to deficiencies and clear defects and this is not a euphemism. Rather, it is an honest appraisal of the situation in which we find ourselves as regards children and family services. We have a much more open and transparent system of appraisal of our services, particular through HIQA, the Ombudsman for Children, and the Children Acts Advisory Board. We therefore have a much better idea of what is going on from time to time. It is unfortunate that it has taken so long to get such a grip on the situation.

With regard to the role the appointee will have, it is important he or she reports directly to the chief executive of the HSE as this would elevate the position of children to the one it should rightly hold within the HSE, namely, mainstream and not peripheral. From time to time that label has been attached to children and family services within the HSE, and I do not believe that is unreasonable.

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