Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I apologise if I am going over ground that was discussed earlier. It is one of those days when I am trying to bilocate.

There are three areas I wanted to talk to Mr. McCarthy about and the time is short. Obviously, the most important aspect of foster care is that it meets the best interests of the child. However, there are different costs depending on what is available, and whether it is with a family member, a foster parent or a private provider. I received a reply to a parliamentary question some time ago in relation to the number on the panel and the number of children. In some locations, there is a clear shortage of foster parents. Is that the determining factor? I imagine that there is specialised care required for some children, but what would be the determining factor? What involvement would the Department have in that general policy in placing children or in deciding? There is a different cost depending on what is available but my point is that it should not come down to cost.