I direct my question to both the Taoiseach and the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. On page 81 of the programme for Government it is stated the Government is committed, with Tusla, to providing targeted intervention services for children. The Waterford unit of the ISPCC is being closed on Friday, 1 December. It is manned by 35 volunteers and two full-time staff who take 30,000 calls a year and support 20 families annually with a unique mentoring service. Tusla provides €9,000 but the cost of running the unit is €100,000. I appeal to the Minister and the Taoiseach for a four-week stay on the decision to allow a solution to be found by 31 December.

The ISPCC is an excellent organisation with which my officials and I work very closely on a number of fronts. Most recently, we have worked with it on the cases of children who have been made homeless. It is regrettable that it has decided that it has to close the office in Waterford and the two services it provides there. I understand from our recent conversations with it that any child from Waterford and the south east will continue to have full access to Childline. My understanding of how the service works is that when a child calls, he or she may be connected to a person who could be in any part of the country. I understand the mentoring service that is run from the office is mostly provided by volunteers for the ISPCC. They are finishing their work with some children and families. In cases where they have not finished it, they are working with local services to hand them over. That is my understanding of how, in the context of the decision to close, the ISPCC is ensuring the children in need will receive what they require. I will continue to work closely with the ISPCC to see if it is possible to find further funding in the new year.