Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister says, I am referring to the Alliance of Birth Mothers Campaigning for Justice. It was launched some time ago and I know Deputy Rabbitte has attended its meetings.

I honestly do not believe Tusla is fit for purpose. Has the situation outlined by the Alliance of Birth Mothers Campaigning for Justice ever arisen before? I have heard of many concerning cases. I have handed the Minister a dossier. I hope she has read it. It is quite distressing, serious and damaging. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has been lambasted in several reports in recent years. For the first time, questions are being asked about whether it is fit for purpose in its current form. An audit carried out by Dr. Geoffrey Shannon, the very well-respected special rapporteur on child protection, found that communication between Tusla and An Garda Síochána was poor, with limited levels of inter-agency co-operation and co-ordination between them falling far short of international best practice. This is standard practice all over the world. A lot needs to be done. Socks need to be pulled up. The Minister needs to pull her socks up to turn this agency into a vehicle that is ft for purpose. There are huge concerns about it.

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