Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Thank you. A number of issues have been raised here. One of the very basic issues is the issue of information and awareness of rights and entitlements. As part of our recommendations, we will include a recommendation for engagement between the Department of Social Protection and Tusla to provide briefing and information to foster parents regarding eligibility in relation to child benefit and the likes of carer's allowance and making voluntary PRSI contributions. That is something very basic that can be done based on the evidence we have heard this morning. While we are happy to give a platform to foster parents to highlight these issues, quite a number of the issues raised this morning are not relevant to this committee. The committee will make a copy of the proceedings available to the Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and ask it to review this evidence and to engage further on these very important issues.

I thank the witnesses for attending today and for their constructive and very positive engagement with this committee. The committee will shortly discuss our next considerations on this matter in private session. It is our intention to present a report on our deliberations, in terms of the wider matters on our work programme, to the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and to Dáil Éireann shortly thereafter. We hope the committee's deliberations and recommendations will be taken on board by the Department and considered by the Minister. Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.