Mr. Pat Smyth:

It would cost €7,000 per week. Approximately €350,000 would cover the cost of one child in a residential placement for one year. That is a different scenario from a child in a normal foster care placement and the numbers reflect that. As was said earlier, 90% of our kids are in standard foster care arrangements. The 10% of children who are in other arrangements have more complex needs. It is not done on a straightforward money basis and we have never argued that it is on a one-for-one money basis, but I take the Deputy's point in that the cost to the State of children in foster care is much lower than kids in residential care.