Ms Catherine Bond:

The Irish Foster Care Association has a very good relationship with Tusla. We meet Tusla at senior level, including with the CEO and director of operations, and at local level. It is a constructive relationship through which we can raise issues of concern for foster carers. That is what our organisation is there for. It is also a constructive relationship in that we seek to find solutions together. Ultimately, everybody is working in the best interests of children and to ensure that foster care retains that very valuable status in society. We are quite unique in Ireland in our approach to children in foster care.