Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I do not doubt that the Minister has tried, but I just do not understand this. Hundreds of millions of euro have been wasted on the national children's hospital, and we are looking for €400,000 to keep a service that we know works. It provides support for 50 vulnerable families and their children, which saves the State a lot of money down the road. If this service is closed, and the support provided to those families disappears, many of these children will end up in residential care and in foster care, which will cost the State more money. Why would it be allowed to close for the sake of €400,000? I just do not believe that the Minister cannot come up with €400,000 for a service that she and Tusla acknowledge works. It is frankly unacceptable. I cannot believe €400,000 cannot be found. We can find more than €400 million to pay builders who have ripped the country off, but we cannot find €400,000 for a service that is absolutely vital. It is not on.

See this speech in context