Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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3. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of foster carers in 2014; the number today; the measures he will take to encourage people to become foster carers; if he will engage with stakeholders on how to do this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43703/24]

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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I met with some foster carers just before the budget and they outlined their current circumstances and the circumstances for foster carers in the Sate, which is fairly grave given how the numbers have reduced. We obviously need more foster carers. There were a number of moves made in the budget, which I very much welcome, and I know they do too. I am interested in knowing the number of foster carers we had in 2014, ten years ago, and the number we have today. I believe it has reduced significantly.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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When a child cannot be in the care of their own family and when a child has to come into the care of the State, the very next best place for a child is in the care of another family. That is why foster carers are so important and that is why I have worked to stabilise and grow the number of foster carers we have. In 2014, we had 4,210 foster carers and this year, the most recent data shows we have 3,842 foster carers.

I have prioritised support for foster carers. In last year's budget and in this year's budget, I introduced significant measures. From 1 November, next week, the weekly foster care allowance will go to €400 per week for children under 12 and €425 per week for those over 12. This increase, part of which came in on 1 January and part will come in on 1 November, means foster carers will get an additional €1,700 per child this year. Next year, in a full year, it will be an additional €2,900 per child. That is a recognition of the really important role they play and also of the financial pressure foster carers face, like every other family.

In this year's budget I have taken two other steps. From January 2025, when a child enters a foster care placement for the first time, a double foster care allowance payment will be made because there are often additional expenses when a child arrives in a new placement. We are also providing additional funding for mileage because a lot of foster carers have to travel around the country a lot to support appointments, either medical or for disability services, or indeed appointments with their birth family. I have engaged extensively with the Irish Foster Care Association, IFCA. I have engaged extensively with the Movement for Change in Foster Care as well and, while recognising the many real challenges that still exist, there is a recognition we have met the core demand on the foster care allowance and I was pleased to do so.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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The number of carers has reduced, obviously, but over ten years it is perhaps not as stark; we lost 368 from the system which would be for many reasons. In relation to bringing new foster carers into the system, is the Minister aware of any of the reasons foster carers may have chosen to stop foster care other than those who are getting older and naturally stop providing foster care? I am interested to know of those who have left by choice, what may have been the reasons for that. For them, it may not have been a choice; they may have been unable to keep going.

On bringing in new foster carers, and perhaps during his engagement with the likes of the IFCA, has the Minister looked at what we can do to encourage and bring more foster carers into the system? There are children who need foster carers.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I have found that for people departing, age is one of the major criteria. People who have fostered all their lives and are now in their mid-70s and simply are not in a position to do it anymore.

That is a crucial reason. Our biggest problem is recruitment. A lot of people who come into the foster care system as foster carers are care experienced themselves and know the benefit of what it did for them.

Tusla is taking a number of steps. It now has a strategic plan for foster care services and a new national director for foster care. It did not have that before and I asked it to appoint that person in order to prioritise this area. One area that we need to tackle is the issue of pensions. I am sure that was raised with the Deputy when she met representatives. There is a sense of there not being any kind of clear pension contribution. It is something my Department has raised with the Department of Social Protection and I will talk about it in the general election campaign. It is a crucial issue. We have done a lot on the allowance, but the longer term piece in respect of providing stability in old age for a family which has given much of their lives to foster caring needs to be answered more clearly.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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I thought of that very point when the Minister said one of the biggest reasons people are leaving is age. Giving security to foster carers when they reach the age of 66 and ensuring they can access a State pension is important. I discussed that with the representatives. They said that perhaps a new system is needed. The best thing we can do is consider the new system introduced for family carers more generally from January of this year in the social protection system. I do not believe it would cost a lot of money because, in some cases, foster carers have worked for ten years and have 520 contributions, and will, therefore, be able to get a State pension. A small number of people are affected. The new system this year for family carers is something I have put to the Minister, Deputy Humphreys. Consideration should be given to using that system and the credit it provides for foster carers as well as family carers. That would be the easiest and quickest way to deal with this.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I thank the Deputy. There is certainly merit in considering her idea. The Deputy is probably aware that Tusla is in the AV room today, where I am hosting representatives who are coming in to talk to Members of the Oireachtas about foster caring and how some of us or our constituents who are interested in it can deliver that message and make it clear how people can sign up. Tusla is doing a lot of work on that. It did an amazing garden in Bloom this year, which had a huge amount of throughput and provided people with information on how they might sign up as foster carers.

It is doing huge amount of work on recruitment and I want to acknowledge that. The extra supports we have put in place, such as the new lead for fostering, are having an impact. As I said, we have stabilised things, as there has been a loss over ten years, but we need to grow the numbers. In particular, we need to bring younger families into the system because people cannot foster forever and we understand that.