Mr. Brendan Gillen:

The Deputy has highlighted two of the key recommendations. The first is the age restriction on the eligibility for children to qualify for the home caring period scheme. If that age could be increased from 12 to 23, it would make a significant difference because in most cases of fostering the child has longer-term needs and longer-term development needs and stays with the foster carer for longer. The second key point made by the Deputy was on the 20-year limit on the contributions. Fostering can, and does, last longer than 20 years and in the case of multiple fostering, it can certainly exceed the 20-year cap. If this limit was removed with regard to foster carers it would be another huge step. With regard to the detailed analysis of existing foster carers and the existing level of pension credits they have-----