Mr. Raymond Nolan:

I thank the committee members for this opportunity. They are all well informed, which is great to see. I would like to think that this may be the beginning of proper engagement to work towards meeting foster parents’ needs. This will benefit the children who are in care. We speak about issues such as allowance, pensions, etc. These issues must be thrashed out. People must feel they are respected. I say this because the sacrifice that is made is enormous. If you have not walked a mile in my shoes, you just do not know what I am talking about. That is fair to say.

On the whole, the way fostering has developed in Ireland is great. The work that Tusla does is fantastic in the main. There are gaps. There are gaps in every part of our society, whether that is health, public transport or whatever, and there are gaps in fostering. Pensions are one of those gaps, as is the issue of the foster care allowance. Senator Murphy mentioned mileage. I cannot understand or process how something that was set in 2009 could be relevant today. It is set in the foster care allowance that for the first 50 km I travel, I do not get any compensation. I cannot process that and I am a smart enough individual. If I travel 49 km per day with a child, I get nothing. However, if I travel 51 km per day with a child, I get an allowance for 1 km. For that 1 km, we get 25 cent. That is not respectful to people who are doing this on a voluntary basis and bringing up children on behalf of the State and society. It is disrespectful. That is the feeling on the ground, if I may say that.

The Irish Foster Care Association is the association that supports us as foster parents. I have to hand over €70 from my pocket to Ms Bond so that I can be a member of the association. I am a volunteer. The State should be paying that fee. I know Tusla has been asked to look into that and it has given it the side kick. I do not see why we, as volunteers who do not get paid, do not get a salary and whose needs are not met, should have to take €70 out of our pockets to be a member of the association that supports us.

We are moving in the right direction. We are speaking today to members of the committee. We cannot drop the ball now. We need to engage with the Irish Foster Care Association. Tusla has asked us to grow our membership. However, we cannot grow it if we are asking people who are volunteers for €70. We need the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to increase the budget given to the Irish Foster Care Association. It is minimal. It is just not enough. The Irish Foster Care Association does not even have the number of staff it needs to meet the demands for counselling and advocacy. I have used the advocacy service in recent times and that is ongoing. It is an invaluable service. I could not put a price on it, and nor could Tusla. It has saved three children in care. It has saved the placement. The advocacy worker was just phenomenal. That is the quality of staff that IFCA has. This is not recognised either in the funding the association is getting. The funding needs to be at least doubled to support the people who are bringing children up on behalf of this State.

I can tell the committee one story that sprang to mind. Last year, on Easter Saturday I think, I was outside doing something. A ten-year-old child came outside and asked me if Theresa and I were going to buy a cottage in our 80s. I said that we may not live into our 80s. He said, “You will". When I asked why he said that, he said, “You are good people”. I said, “Thanks a million but why would you say we are good people?” He said, “You change children’s lives.” That is powerful message from a ten-year-old child. I relay that message to the committee today. That is the basis on which we must move. I thank members for listening.