I acknowledge that the Minister is here tonight to take this Topical Issue. I am sure she will agree that last week's "RTÉ Investigates" was appalling. It gave us just a glimpse into the experience of some children in care and what they experience. I certainly felt, having watched it, that somebody needs to be held accountable for what we saw in the programme and it cannot just be Tusla. I have said before that the Government is in charge. The Minister and the Department have a responsibility for children who are in care, our most vulnerable children in the State. Far too often it is easy for all of us to point the finger at Tusla. It has been too much of an easy out and the time for that is over. The system we saw last week on our television screens is one that is causing harm to children. We saw children who are being neglected. It is a system that consists of children who go hungry and children who run away because they cannot bear to be where they are put. It has actively led to children being exploited and being assaulted. It has brought vulnerable children into a world of drugs and crime. It has led to severe mental health issues and it has led to homelessness. These operators are being paid for this service and they are being paid in the millions. It is, frankly, disgusting that this is what they are being paid for. The use of unregulated profit-driven residential settings has to be banned. There should be no room for profit making when it comes to looking after the most vulnerable children in our State. It is not just about a ban but about building capacity in the State system. This is there in terms of the voluntary residential services. They are ready, willing and able. They want to grow and they want to do more. Why can they not do so? It is because the funding they receive cannot and does not operate the services they have today. They are fundraising for their services. We need to give them funding that is adequate to do the job they do and we need more of them.

Sentiment score: -0.02

I thank the Minister. In her closing remarks, she might let us know the action that has been taken. Has she met Tusla since that programme was aired last week, for example? Why are we not looking at the 13 voluntary residential services that have agreements in place with Tusla? Staff in them have experience of 25, 30 and more years' experience. We should be looking at those providers. There should not be any room for profit-making when it comes to children in the care of the State. Again, I make the point that we have residential services in the voluntary sector that are regulated to the hilt. They have to account for every single red cent. They are fundraising to keep their doors open to stand still. We are throwing money then at private providers, some of which are providing what we saw last week on the television. Can the Minister come back to us specifically on those voluntary residential services?

Sentiment score: 0.09