Mr. Kevin McCarthy:

The Deputy is right. The current rates of foster care payments have not increased since 2009. That is quite a long time. They currently stand at €325 a week per child under 12 years and €352 for a child over 12 years. Tusla is developing a new foster care strategy that it plans to bring to its board in July. In advance of that, it has produced a proposal on foster care rates which is with us now. We are engaging with them on that. Obviously, there are budgetary implications to any change on that and we need to reside any proposal for change as part of an overall strategy for supporting foster care. We absolutely recognise the importance and value of foster care. Some 90% of children in care are in foster care. It is a means of supporting children in need that we are absolutely reliant on as a State and it is entirely appropriate that we would support foster carers appropriately. There is an active consideration of some of the issues that arise on that.