Ms Catherine Bond:

Perhaps some of the infrastructural measures we spoke about earlier, relating to the foster care allowance and the eligibility of foster carers to receive a pension on retirement, could be considered.

To follow on from Ms Corridon, we are celebrating one year of the introduction of a counselling service for foster carers. Fostering has an emotional impact on foster care families, not just on those adults who are fostering but also on their children. We are building up a significant amount of information and research on the emotional impacts of fostering. We really need to support all of these people who are supporting these very vulnerable children. It can be a very lonely place at times and foster carers always say the best support they can receive is speaking to other foster carers. The Irish Foster Care Association provides that platform.

I would like to return briefly to the issue of the unaccompanied minors. With the permission of the person who sent us the email yesterday, I can send that on to the Chair.