Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This amendment sought to specify the period for which financial support shall be paid in respect of a child identified by a body under the section. The reason I wanted to extend it is that when a child is embedded in a particular environment and some time has passed, they have made friends and key developmental milestones are being reached. They have stability and friendships have been garnered. I was looking at what was best for the child. Sometimes we have to forget about the financial side of things and consider what is best for the child. The fact is that we are talking about two and half, three and a half and four and a half year olds. If those children were placed and settled for more than three months it would be unsettling to remove them from that environment. I know that there is a financial implication and that is one of the reasons it has been ruled out. I was considering what is best for the child. I know the Minister also is focused on what is best for the child.

I tabled my amendment because I wanted to ensure that children could finish a term. Even if the period is not as long as three months, I would like children to finish the session at the next definite break - be it the mid-term break, Christmas or Easter - and thus not feel like they had left something behind. Does my explanation make sense? I hope I have been clear.