Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We have an excellent Ombudsman for Children in Dr. Niall Muldoon, and the office deals very adequately with many complaints. We do not want to see a situation where it is getting to that stage, however. Barnardos also expressed concerns that if people are unhappy with the response they receive from State agencies, they would have the opportunity to register those concerns. I agree that it is good that some complaints are getting resolved. It is not that we want a situation where complaints are being made, but it is good that people would feel free to do so.

There is a concern around Tusla. Whenever any parents hear the word "Tusla", they think the worst. I deal regularly with parents, as I am sure many Deputies do, regarding the 20-day school letter. People panic about that because it is a letter that comes from Tusla. It is, therefore, good if people have the freedom to make those complaints and do not feel there will be any negative repercussions for them. We need to look, and maybe it is something we will also examine at committee, at the wider area of child protection and safeguarding and seeing how we can strengthen that.

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