Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the witnesses for coming before the committee. I think we all appreciate the incredible work that foster families offer to young people. It is an invaluable service that is often, I think, underappreciated. It happens quietly in communities all over Ireland, and it is important to acknowledge the work of those families and the difference they make in the lives of individuals as well as in reaching families themselves. As this is a public meeting, it is really important to highlight that. When I was a child I had a teenage foster sister. It was one of the best things that ever happened to our family.

In Mr. Gloster's opening statement he indicated concerns about the growth in the loss of foster carers overall, and Tusla's engagement with current foster families indicated some of the challenges in that regard. Will the witnesses elaborate on the challenges of delays in permanency planning and the failure to increase allowances in line with inflation? What are the difficulties around permanency planning and their impact? Should the committee seek for allowances to increase in line with inflation?

Mr. Gloster spoke about some of the practical ways to support foster families. What are they? He also highlighted difficulty in accessing therapeutic services for children. That is an intersectional issue because the waiting lists for assessments of need and therapies are absolutely disgraceful. He spoke a little about occupational therapy and speech and language therapy, but without the assessment of needs it is not possible to get those therapies. Will the witnesses give us an insight into how that is impacting the fostering system?

Finally, will the witnesses discuss the specific challenges around recruiting and retaining foster carers for children and adolescents and older children?