Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

That sounds good. I hope it turns out as well as the Minister would hope. As she is aware, Professor Geoffrey Shannon was very critical of the lack of serious out of hours services. He pointed out that because of the lack of facilities available to Tusla, the private sector was being relied upon, especially during the out of hours period. He pointed out that, especially with respect to children with serious behavioural problems, that the private sector was picking and choosing the children it would take. This is something a State body would not do. One cannot tell a private body that it is obliged to take all children. Private sector providers have not done that by all accounts. There are no mandatory rules in place to make them take every child who needs their help. Will there continue to be a dependence on the private sector, given that Professor Geoffrey Shannon pointed out that it is not to be depended on and that the State sector is a more reliable source for these children?

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