Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On the question of a referendum, the relevant Cabinet committee is actively working on this issue. A meeting of that Cabinet committee will take place this afternoon as I understand it. It will be given further consideration and there will be engagement across the House and of course public confirmation of any final decision on that particular issue.

On child trafficking, since last year Tusla has partnered with the anti-child-trafficking organisation MECPATHS to raise awareness and to provide front-line staff across its services with training on child trafficking in Ireland, thereby increasing the agency's capacity to respond to what is an evolving area of need and indeed an increasing area of need given the migration crisis that is developing across the world. As the Deputy knows, An Garda Síochána and Tusla have a joint protocol and where family reunification is not possible Tusla will place the child with the foster family, in a residential care unit or in supported lodgings that meet their particular needs. In light of today's study, we will need to examine all those issues. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and Tusla will now be working as a priority on a response to this UCD study.

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