Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A person can apply to Tusla or a private company to become a foster carer but cannot apply to both. If someone applies to a private company, he or she then deals with the company, which allocates a link worker to the person and manages his or her affairs as a foster carer. The approval of a foster carer for the private company or Tusla is managed by Tusla but people can foster through a private company which issues a payment to them and so forth and deals with the social worker.