Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Tusla has an extraordinarily difficult job. The people who work in Tusla are very committed and do work which I think very few of us in this House would be willing to do. They look after children who have been abandoned and abused by their parents, have come to this country unaccompanied and have endured horrific neglect and abuse. It is totally wrong-headed to in any way try to blame the staff in Tusla or the agency for that. They are the ones trying to help the children who have suffered and experienced these things. They are not the cause of the problem, they are the ones trying to help to put things right. We should not lose sight of that. It is a very difficult job for which the outcomes can never be as good as we would like. It is an accountable body established under law. It used to be part of the HSE but is no longer - it is a dedicated agency in its own right. It has a board and is accountable to the Minister for children, and also to the Oireachtas through the joint committee. I know it regularly comes in for hearings and to answer questions. The Deputy mentioned that social workers are accountable to CORU, the regulatory body for that agency.

The Deputy mentioned Jonathan Irwin at the outset of his remarks. I join the Deputy in recognising his life and contribution and extend my condolences to his wife, friends and family. He was a fine man. I did not always agree with him but I know he always had the best intentions. One area he worked on closely when I was Minister for Health was reforming the rules around medical cards for children with profound disabilities. At the time, it was means tested. We changed the rules so that any child with a terminal illness who was end-of-life, and any child with a severe disability who was in receipt of a domiciliary care allowance payment, automatically got a medical card regardless of their parents' means and incomes. That was a significant change made at that time. He contributed to that change in policy. I want to recognise that in the House today.

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