Emer Higgins
Dublin Mid-West · Fine Gael · Ireland
“With regard to the background, and as the Senator has touched on, this project was designed on the basis of a 30-year operational lease, with the primary objective of delivering value for money over the lifetime of that lease.”
“Regarding the specific situation in Castlebar that the Senator has raised, Tusla has indicated that following careful consideration, including extensive negotiations, which he referred to, and legal mediation with the developers, it was unable to reach an agreement.”
“They came forward, often at enormous personal cost, and continued to seek answers and accountability when the very systems that should have protected them had failed. For many survivors of child sexual abuse, the abuse does not end when it stops.”
“The strongest projects are those that invest in feasibility studies, site assessments, stakeholder engagement and detailed design from the outset, because decisions made at the earliest stage often have the greatest impact on cost, quality and operational performance.”
“As a result, it made a significant uplift on its original offer. The additional increase sought could not be justified, however, when benchmarked against comparable projects across both Tusla and the HSE. That comes back to the value-for-money argument.”
“Justice Michael White for their significant work and acknowledge how deeply distressing the findings are. They reveal repeated missed opportunities, ignored warning signs and systemic failures that allowed abuse to occur over many years. Children who should have been protected were instead left vulnerable.”
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“I will revert to the Deputy with that exact number. I have the exact number that he requested in his question, which I read out, but I will get the number for last year too and give it to the Deputy. That is no problem. We are also hiring more people for the CDNT teams. We have a new single point of access that ensures no child is on the wrong waiting list, and there is no such thing as a wrong door from a HSE perspective. In addition, we are supplementing our workforce by outsourcing a number of AONs as well.”
“We know that at the heart of this are children - children with disabilities who need access to therapies. Right now, they are waiting too long for access to therapies and too long for assessments of need. That is wrong. That is why, just in December, we outlined reforms. Those reforms include statutory guidelines, which will streamline and standardise the process. That will include decisions being communicated to parents.”
“With regard to the cross-Border scheme, that is definitely worth exploring. At the moment, we want to make sure that we are delivering more assessments of need. To that end, we have prioritised a waitlist initiative. We have set aside €20 million to provide for 6,000 assessments of need to be completed by private providers.”
“I want to be absolutely clear, and to reassure parents in particular, that proposed legislative changes will not in any way remove any right for parents to apply for an assessment of need for their child, and will not alter the six-month timeline in the Act. That is important to say, and I do not want parents to be misled on that. The changes include changes to Part 2 of the Disability Act, which provides for assessments of need. These legislative changes include ensuring the assessment process focuses on a child’s needs, so that more intensive clinical assessments are only used where required. They will also ensure the development of statutory guidelines to better support HSE assessment officers to do standard assessments in a standardised way, so that no matter where people are in the country, they get the same clinical approach.”
“I want to see this situation change so that families do not have to wait so long for their assessment of need applications to be processed. That change is happening. We have seen a notable increase in the number of completed AONs nationally over the past two years, but there is a lot more work to be done. That is why, in December 2025, the Government announced a series of improvements to the assessment of need process, including new legislation, which will be coming through pre-legislative scrutiny at the Joint Committee on Disability Matters.”
“Unfortunately, this demand is outpacing the capacity of the system to respond. As a result, HSE data shows that the number of applications over the completion date rose to over 20,200 nationally by the end of the year. This is unacceptable, which we acknowledge, and we will address it. For Cavan-Monaghan LHO, in the Deputy’s constituency, the numbers he requested are as follows: 520 applications in total were not completed within the statutory timeframe of six months, 31 of which were overdue for less than one month, and 36 of which were overdue for between one and three months. The remainder, 453, were overdue for three months or more. These numbers are stark. Every one of them represents a child or young person.”
“The delivery of an effective, efficient assessment of need system is a priority for the Government, which is why we are bringing in reforms in this area. There has been intensive work by the Department and the HSE to address delays in the provision of assessments of need to children and their families. Children do not require an assessment of need to access health services, including primary care, children’s disability network teams or mental health services. It is important that people are aware of this. However, demand for assessments of need has increased significantly in recent years, reflecting both the increase in population and families exploring all options to access services for their child. The number of applications for assessments of need increased from 4,700 in 2020 to over 13,000 in 2025.”
“There are 45,000 children receiving support and therapies through our CDNTs nationally and that is really positive. We are embarking on a recruitment campaign to make sure we are bolstering our teams. Part of that will be international and national recruitment but it will also be making sure, for example, that we are expanding training places, which happened in June of last year. There will be up to 461 additional student places by the end of 2028 and the majority of those have commenced. New roles and training pathways are being developed to expand the skills mix and the pipeline of people we can hire. We have student bursaries and trainee programmes. We found them really successful in regard to people coming to do their student placements with CDNTs and, on graduation, being offered roles on those teams.”
“It is really important that people are referred as early as possible. In Deputy Clendennen's own area, I know there are there CDNTs in Laois-Offaly. At the end of last year, there were 2,077 children who were open caseloads on the CDNTs. That means they have been in contact with CDNTs and there are 89 children on the waiting list.”
“In terms of staffing, this year's budget has allocated €8 million, which will provide for 150 new staff across our CDNTs. We will prioritise the placement of those new staff on the teams that have the highest vacancy rates. That is to make sure that we are providing more therapies to children who need them and who are waiting longer on lists. It is also to make sure that we are supporting the staff who are working with those CDNTs, which we need to do. In regard to Deputy Clendennen and his constituents who have gotten assessments and then gone to their CDNTs, to be really clear, families do not need an assessment to go to their CDNT. They just need to be referred. Families can self-refer or they can get a referral through their school, public health nurse or whatever it may be.”
“The HSE is currently developing a service improvement plan for disability service for children and young people, which will build on improvement works started under the roadmap with a key focus on recruitment and retention. To maintain this progress, the HSE is driving intensive domestic and international recruitment efforts and will undertake a variety of workforce initiatives to support sustained growth of CDNTs and the wider disability sector this year”
“The overall CDNT vacancy rate has reduced from 29% in 2023 to 18% in 2025. That is a reduction of 11 percentage points nationally, but it is still a challenge and, as a result of that, there are still delays in accessing interventions for children with disabilities. However, it is important to thank our teams and recruiters for the progress that is being made. Since the roadmap was approved by the Government in July 2023, the national CDNT waiting list has reduced by 43% as at the end of December. Despite staffing challenges, CDNTs provided supports to 44,739 children with complex needs as of the end of December last year. I thank all of our people who are working so hard on those teams.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. The Government and I, like the Deputy, are committed to early intervention for children with disabilities, to ensure they can access the appropriate supports at the earliest possible stage. Those services are delivered through our children’s disability network teams for children with complex needs. Recruitment and retention of health and social care professionals is a really big challenge, to be quite frank, and it is a challenge faced by the CDNTs across the country. I am pleased that progress is being made on the recruitment of staff to the teams and the HSE has reported a 28% increase in staffing levels nationwide from October 2023 to October 2025. This equates to an additional 448 whole-time equivalents, which includes 321 health and social care professionals.”
“There is no timeline because it is ongoing. As soon as it is identified we will have further information, because once we have an identified site, we will then know from a planning perspective how long things will take. It is really important to say that funding was approved as a capital appraisal project for this, so there is funding earmarked for this project. It is something we are very committed to delivering. We know there is a need there and we want to replace the existing facility, and this is how we do that. We engage with the local service providers to see where there is capacity and suitable premises and then we work with them to turn that suitable premises into a service for the type of people the Senator has identified and spoken about and for the people SNAP is dealing with directly in her area.”
“What I am clearly saying is that we are looking to replace the existing Monaghan day activation unit, which is based in St. Davnet's campus in Monaghan town. Yes, we are looking at Monaghan town. The information I have from the HSE is that it is engaging locally with the HSE north-east estates department to identify a suitable site, so I do not have information that says a site has been identified. I am being told by the HSE directly that the HSE capital estates office is currently liaising with Cavan-Monaghan disability services and my Department to identify a suitable location in Monaghan town.”
“The expectation is that people will be away from the location and accessing local community services in line with their person-centred plan for part of the week. This recognises that much of the support is provided in the community in line with community inclusion and access to activities external to the location. That is where it is currently at in Monaghan.”
“It is critical that new service locations comply with the core values of new directions, which are community inclusion, active citizenship, quality and person centeredness. Locations are developed in response to demographic growth as part of the annual rehabilitation school leaver process. Supports are provided from locations local to where the individuals with disabilities live. Locations are ideally centrally located within a village or town such as Monaghan, providing easy access to other community services, for example, transport, shops, leisure facilities and so on. Each location serves a local population, rather than serving the needs of a larger geographical area because each typically has capacity for no more than 25 people in the location at any one time.”
“The HSE provides specialist disability services, including day service and rehabilitative training, to people with disability who require such services and people with intellectual disabilities form the majority of service users who are supported by these services. As the Senator will be aware, the focus is on supporting people to participate in mainstream activities and in the life of their communities in line with their wishes and needs. Day services are a vital support for adults with disabilities to be able to participate in the life of their community and to realise their own ambitions and desires. Day service locations act as a base location for people supported to access and participate in valued roles in their communities in line with the new directions policy and UNCRPD.”
“The submission to support the development and the delivery of a new service location in County Monaghan in line with the new directions policy was approved as a capital appraisal project in 2024, as the Senator said. HSE Cavan-Monaghan disability services is working with the HSE north-east estates to consider the best option for the delivery of the mainstream and high-support elements within the service location. They have carried out a strategic, healthcare investment framework assessment and that was completed last year. The HSE capital estates office is currently liaising with Cavan-Monaghan disability services to identify a suitable location in Monaghan town.”
“I would like to add to the list of TY students who are visiting the Chamber. Leo Rowley is here today with me. I also welcome Deputy Devlin's guests and all our guests to the Chamber. I thank Senator O'Reilly for tabling this commencement matter. I would like to use this opportunity to outline exactly what is happening. I know that is something the Senator and SNAP are keen to happen. The HSE has provided a status update. HSE Cavan-Monaghan disability services team, supported by the HSE north-east estates department made a submission for capital funding for a new day services premises to replace the existing Monaghan day activation unit premises based in the St. Davnet's campus in Monaghan town.”
“It is about making sure that while we are utilising that private capacity in terms of the targeted wait list initiative, we are also continually investing in improving the public system through training and adding additional clinical and administrative supports. That is all about assisting the HSE assessment and liaison officers throughout that assessment of need process. It is also about ensuring children then have access to the therapies they need. That is why we are making such an effort to ensure our CDNTs get additional resources to be able to support children in that way.”
“As I have outlined, there are a series of reforms being progressed to ensure children can access assessments of need in a timely manner. In addition to this, we are also using measures such as the targeted wait list initiative which was introduced in May 2024. This year, that initiative will support the delivery of 6,000 clinical assessments. That is another one of those actions. There is very much a timeframe for that. When it comes to staffing, I reassure the Senator that our CDNTs are also recruiting and there will be prioritisation within recruitment for teams that have the highest vacancy rate. If her area is part of that, it will be prioritised.”
“Each team will include a psychologist, a speech and language therapist, an occupational therapist and an administrator, who will provide clinical guidance to families throughout that process. I also take the opportunity to remind Senators, when they are speaking to families, to encourage them to refer themselves on to our children disability network teams, CDNTs, if they think there is a need. An assessment of need is not required for that. Government recognises the need for urgency when it comes to addressing delays in the assessment of need system. That is why we are committed to addressing the measures I have outlined, because we want to benefit children and their families.”
“In addition to these legislative reforms that will go through the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Disability Matters, there are a series of operational actions which are being progressed as a matter of priority. They include the development of statutory guidelines to ensure that assessments of need focus on identifying a child’s needs, engaging in more intensive assessments only where there is an identified need. This should help reduce delays and allow therapists to spend more time delivering services to children. The establishment by the HSE of 11 new teams, initially to support HSE assessment processes, including assessments of need, are also being set up.”
“That is why on 9 December, two months ago, the Government announced a series of reforms to the assessment of need process. This will make it more efficient and more effective for children and their families. These reforms include changes to Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005, which provides for assessments of need. It is very important for me to say these changes will not remove any rights for parents to apply for an assessment of need for their child, nor will they alter that statutory six-month timeline I set out in the Disability Act. The Senator asked in her contribution for the Government to take action. I am pleased to be able to outline some other key action areas we are bringing in with regard to assessments of need and addressing that issue.”
“This is reflected in the continued growth in assessment of need applications in the Kildare and west Wicklow local health office area - the Senator's own area. Last year, there was an 18% increase in demand for assessments of need in the Kildare and west Wicklow area and significant efforts have been made to increase the completion rates of assessments of need in this area. The completion of 162 assessment reports last year represents a marked increase on the figure for the previous year. However, as the Senator said, despite this improvement, the number of children on the waiting list waiting too long is too large. The numbers she outlined in her contribution are stark and highlight the need to do a lot more, not just in Kildare and west Wicklow but at a national level, to ensure assessments of need are completed as soon as possible.”
“I welcome the students to the Seanad. I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising this very important issue and giving me the opportunity to talk about assessments of need and the reforms we are introducing in this area. As the Senator said, Government recognises there are absolutely unacceptable delays in accessing assessments of need, not just in Kildare but right across the country. The Department and the HSE are committed to addressing these delays and ensuring the assessment of need system becomes more efficient and more effective. Demand for assessments of need at a national level has risen significantly. In fact, the number of applications for assessments of need for children has doubled in the past five years.”
“That is really good news for Deputy Ó Muirí's constituents. It is also really good to know that a revised schedule for route 15 is to be introduced in September. That is aimed at improving reliability and better matching capacity to demand. It is really important that the Deputy continues to work with the NTA and Dublin Bus, and with his colleagues both locally and nationally to make sure that the new route in September adequately services his constituents. I will take this feedback directly to the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien.”
“I thank the Deputy. He is right. He has to raise these issues on behalf of his constituents. At the end of the day, transport connectivity is massively important to people. It is important to people who are using it to get to work or to get to study. It is a part of day-to-day life. Public transport is something that should be able to be relied on. The Deputy spoke of published timetables being a work of fiction. That is not acceptable. We need to get to a point where published timetables are reliable. I am really encouraged to hear that Dublin Bus has introduced two additional morning peak capacity trips, as of November, to alleviate the issues facing the 15 route, and that it is now going to introduce evening peak trips from the city centre to Clongriffin from 8 February, which is this week.”
“In the short term, an additional evening peak trip from the city centre to Clongriffin will be implemented from 8 February. I know this is something the Deputy has campaigned hard on and I thank him for doing that.”
“They are the issues the Deputy has spoken about in regard to the constituents he mentioned who have missed work, school, appointments or other commitments. That is a direct result of the situation. Dublin Bus introduced two additional morning peak capacity trips on 2 November to alleviate the issues facing the route. I compliment Deputy Ó Muirí and Councillor Supriya Singh, whom I know he has worked with on this to make sure that this happened. While the additional services have provided some relief, passenger loadings remain very heavy during the morning peak. A further capacity and demand review is now scheduled for later this year. At present, it is planned that a revised schedule for route 15 will be introduced in September, aimed at improving reliability and better matching capacity to demand.”
“I appreciate that many customers in north Dublin, in the Deputy's constituency, have recently been experiencing some issues with regard to cancellations and reliability. As he predicted, the note I was handed today by the Minister speaks to traffic congestion, and a shortage of bus drivers and mechanics being part of the issue. From what I can see, it looks very much to be the case that traffic congestion is having a big impact on this bus route. Traffic conditions have been particularly challenging in recent months on that route. Traffic speeds have seen a decrease of 5%, while at the same time there has been a 5% increase in traffic volume. This has resulted in significantly higher lost kilometres for route 15 in quarter 4 than in quarters 1, 2 and 3 combined. That is heavily impacting both punctuality and reliability.”
“I thank Deputy Ó Muirí very much for raising this Topical Issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport. To clarify, the Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding of public transport, but he does not have responsibility for or involvement in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. That rests with the National Transport Authority. The NTA, which the Deputy referenced in his contribution, works with the public transport operators, who deliver the services and have responsibility for day-to-day operational matters. That being said, I would like to reassure the Deputy that the Government is strongly committed to providing all citizens with reliable and realistic sustainable mobility options, and public transport plays a key role in the delivery of this goal.”
“Regarding the commercial operator itself, the decision to cease operations on this route was solely a matter for the company. The NTA has no legislative powers to refuse an application from an operator to either reduce or withdraw services. I appreciate that there are not direct routes and that is having an impact locally. On behalf of the Minister for Transport, I thank Deputy Moynihan for bringing this issue forward. I assure the Deputy that his concerns have been heard. I will convey his points, including his very good suggestion regarding the existing bus route, back to the Minister.”
“I fully agree. It makes absolute sense to utilise existing routes. It makes sense from a sustainability perspective, from an efficiency perspective and, most importantly, from a public transport users' perspective. I will absolutely take that feedback back to the Minister for Transport. Orbital routes have been a success in most instances. There has been huge investment in them and that is because nowadays everybody does not necessarily need to be going to the city centre. That is not everybody's destination. It is about being able to provide people who work on the outskirts of Dublin with a better commuting option as well. They have really worked and I take on board the Deputy's feedback that it would work in this instance too.”
“As Deputy Moynihan said, the orbital bus routes servicing areas throughout Dublin have been a huge success and we really need to be thinking outside the box and making small changes that would have a big impact for the commuting public.”
“This process includes an assessment of the level of demand for public transport services in the affected area, an evaluation of whether existing PSO services can be reconfigured to meet any shortfall, or whether it is necessary to competitively tender for the provision of services. The Minister for Transport has been advised by the NTA that, at present, there are no plans to introduce a replacement subsidised direct service on this route. However, a considerable number of journey options to Dublin Airport are available and the Minister has outlined them. To be honest, the Deputy puts forward a really good suggestion in relation to the existing route that passes by and stops at Lucan Spa Hotel, and for it to just stop at the footbridge on the N4. I will take that feedback directly to the Minister for Transport.”
“As such, any decisions taken by commercial operators regarding route scheduling and timetabling are a matter for the commercial company involved, and the NTA has no powers to refuse an application from an operator to reduce or withdraw services on what is a commercial route. In circumstances where a commercial operator ceases operating a specific route, the NTA undertakes an examination to determine whether, with the discontinuation of the commercial service, it is necessary for a replacement PSO service to be introduced to ensure no loss of connectivity to the travelling public.”
“Officials from the Department of Transport have engaged with the NTA on this matter and have been advised, like the Deputy, that there was previously a direct service between Lucan and the airport which was operated on a commercial basis. That was a bus I used regularly so I have a vested interest in this and I did always find it reliable. While most public transport in Ireland comprises the bus and rail services funded through the NTA's PSO programme, there is part of the national public transport system that comprises non-subvented bus services, which are run on a commercial basis by bus and coach businesses of varying sizes throughout the country.”
“That said, I want to reassure the Deputy that the Government is strongly committed to providing all citizens with reliable and realistic sustainable mobility options, and public transport plays a key role in the delivery of this goal. To support this objective, in budget 2026 the Department secured €940 million of funding for public service obligation, PSO, and TFI Local Link services. That is a significant 43% uplift and an increase from €658.4 million in 2025 to €940 million. I understand that the Deputy specifically wishes to discuss the public transport links, or lack thereof, between Lucan and the airport.”
“I thank Deputy Moynihan for raising this really important topic which I am taking today on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. From the outset, I want to clarify that the Minister for Transport has responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport, however neither the Minister nor his officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. The statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally rests with the NTA, National Transport Authority, which the Deputy referenced in his contribution. The NTA works with the public transport operators who deliver the services and have responsibility for their day-to-day operation.”
“In conclusion, I believe this is very important legislation. I believe the Bill will make a key contribution to delivering on the Government’s programme for Government commitments to strengthen Tusla and protect children in the care system. Taking all these measures together, I am conscious of the Bill’s potential to have a very real and positive impact on children in need at particularly vulnerable points in their lives, and on their families. The Minister, Deputy Foley, and I look forward to engaging further with Deputies during the passage of this Bill, in particular, in relation to the provisions that we have outlined today.”
“The Government is committed to fostering cross-government, inter-agency and inter-disciplinary working, and collaboration to improve the lives of people with disabilities and enable them to achieve their potential. I appreciate Deputy Heneghan’s remarks and commend him for his dedication in this regard. I keenly anticipate that the statutory duty to co-operate will codify, strengthen and build upon the inter-agency working already in place. This includes initiatives, such as the protocols developed by Tusla with the HSE and others, to understand the needs of children and parents and deliver much-needed services. Where collaboration is not as robust or consistent as it needs to be, the implementation and inter-agency committee will ensure that barriers are identified, and co-operation established and maintained.”
“The second, Simplify to Support, the action plan for simplification, sets out how we will reduce administration and simplify regulation in the sector. These are both programme for Government commitments that we are delivering on. The Minister, Deputy Foley, also last week announced a landmark commitment of funding for State-led services providing high-quality, accessible early learning and childcare. I hope that supports families like those who were mentioned during this debate. From my perspective as Minister of State with responsibility for disability, I welcome the benefits the changes in this Bill will bring for children with disabilities and parents with disabilities.”
“Ireland has made huge inroads when it comes to gender equality in the workplace, and early learning and care and school-age childcare have helped to enable and sustain that. I note the contributions of Deputies, including Deputies Emer Currie, Michael Collins, Barry Heneghan and others with regard to the early learning and care and school-age childcare sector. The Government is committed to supporting the sector and providing high-quality and accessible early learning and childcare services. In December, the Minister, Deputy Foley, and I published two significant action plans. The first, Shaping the Future, is a detailed action plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early learning and care and school-age childcare system.”
“Operational matters and the provision and allocation of resources across the child welfare and protection system are important matters. To produce the intended outcomes, this needs to be planned, resourced and implemented, but also complemented by services in the community, such as the Red Door and the Redeemer centre in Dundalk, which Deputy Paula Butterly referenced. The principles in this Bill will guide decision-making by Tusla. The Bill also provides that key bodies exercising their functions regarding children in need of care and protection, including all Government Departments, shall consider the best interests of the child as a primary consideration. As Deputy Albert Dolan put it, that needs to be the grounding factor in every decision. As Deputy Fitzmaurice acknowledged, the economy is in a very positive space.”
“It is important to indicate that some of what has been highlighted by Deputies today, which I accept was in good faith, is outside the remit of this Bill. I would like to highlight the ongoing policy work in the Department in relation to kinship care, special care, alternative care and aftercare. I note the cross-departmental work that is giving effect in Ireland to the EU migration and asylum pact, in particular, the immigration Bill. Deputy Tóibín raised a particular issue on this. I can assure him that in practice, the majority of unaccompanied minors are brought into care under the same legal provisions as any other child, with the same care and support. As several Deputies noted, legislation is only a starting point.”
“When this Act is fully commenced, it will be the first time that guardians ad litem are regulated and supported on a national basis to deliver a high-quality, child-centred service. The new service will deliver national standards, consistent practice and timely access to GALs wherever a court directs one. The executive office has had regular engagement with all stakeholders, including the Association of Guardians ad Litem Ireland, and will continue to engage meaningfully as we prepare for the commencement of the guardians ad litem national service. In the drafting of this Bill, time was given to consider the issues raised at pre-legislative scrutiny by the previous Oireachtas Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Where matters raised can be addressed by legislation, we have tried to do so.”
“The Act provides for the Minister to arrange legal advice for guardians ad litem in all circumstances and representation in certain circumstances to support them in carrying out their role effectively, including setting out factors the Minister must take into consideration in making such arrangements in the child’s best interests. This present Bill inserts an additional factor for the Minister to consider, namely, whether the legal representation has been appointed for the child. The independence of guardians ad litem in the performance of their functions is a legislative requirement and a core value of the role. The Child Care (Amendment) Act 2022 clearly states that guardians ad litem must act independently in their professional judgment and function.”
“That was raised here, even in the past hour, by Deputies Donnelly, Currie and Mitchell. The Minister has repeatedly said that she remains open to the possibility of a meeting with guardian ad litem stakeholders at an appropriate time in the future. To reassure the Deputies who raised this here today, that meeting is being arranged at present. The legislation that underpins the launch of the national service was enacted in 2022 and is now being operationalised by the guardian ad litem executive office, under the auspices of the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. The Child Care (Amendment) Act 2022 preserves children’s rights, strengthens their voice in proceedings and provides for legal advice and representation for guardians ad litem in certain circumstances to support them in carrying out their role effectively.”