Ms Corrinne Hasson:

I thank the Cathaoirleach and committee members for the opportunity to speak with them. I am CEO of the Irish Foster Care Association. With me is my colleague, Andrew Murphy, our advocacy co-ordinator, and in the Gallery we have two foster carers, who will be more than happy to answer any questions members have after today's session.

At the end of April 2025, there were 5,781 children in the care of the State. These children are in care for many reasons - neglect, abuse, poverty to name a few - but never through their own fault. Children in care of the State are in almost every town, village and community across Ireland. They are in every school and GAA club and they are in your community too.

A total of 87% of the children in the care of the State are in safe and secure foster homes, with incredible foster carers who go above and beyond every single day. Foster carers care for vulnerable children who may have trauma, behavioural concerns, disabilities, foetal alcohol spectrum disorder and many other complexities. Foster carers do not get to switch off at 5 p.m. on a weekday, or at the weekend. Foster carers spend a large amount of time taking their foster children to medical appointments, therapy and access visits. There are multiple appointments or meetings, often every single week. They buy all food, clothes, shoes, bedding, toys, laptops and school supplies. They pay for all extracurricular activities, school trips and everything else any other child needs to thrive. Many committee members know the costs of their own household, and it is no different for a foster family. However, there are often extra costs incurred for caring for a child in foster care. We all want these children to reach their full potential in life, and it is for this reason that four out of our five asks in our 2026 pre-budget submission are for financial supports for the children in care and the foster carers themselves.

Tusla defines the fostering allowance as being provided "in order to allow foster carers meet all of the child’s daily living needs". In a recent survey of our members, we received 303 responses and 78% of foster carers said they had to use their own income, over and above the foster care allowance, to cover essential expenses for the foster children in their care. When asked what these were, a large number reported dental work, glasses or opticians' appointments, transport, and therapeutic interventions. Foster carers are given an allowance of €400 per week if the child is under 12, or €425 per week if the child is aged 12 and over, to cover all costs incurred with caring for the foster child in their home. This is simply not enough. With a wait of almost 15 years between the previous increase and that received last year, we ask the Government to index link the foster care allowance now in order to ensure foster carers receive financial support that reflects the growing financial demands of caring for a child and allows them to continue providing the best care to their foster children.

We also ask the Government to urgently address the need for foster carers to have their contribution and service to the State recognised and to implement a pension scheme for foster carers that ensures time spent caring will not come with a financial disadvantage in later life. Many foster carers find themselves retiring, only to be told they are not eligible for a contributory pension because they have not worked. Imagine having had 20, 30 or even 40 children in the care of the State live in one's home for a period of time and then being told one has not contributed to one's country.

Recently, the Government announced that foster carers were to be included in the back to school clothing and footwear allowance. While this was a positive acknowledgement of the costs incurred by foster carers, it quickly fell short of expectations when it was announced that foster carers were to be means tested for this annual payment. Foster carers already take on enormous responsibility and open their homes to provide safe, stable and nurturing environments. Requiring them to undergo a means test in order to access basic back to school supports is inappropriate and unfair. It also fails to recognise the unique status and needs of children in the care of the State. We at the Irish Foster Care Association ask the Government to remove the means testing conditions that have been placed on foster carers when applying for the back to school allowance and to ensure that all children in State care can access this basic allowance.

When a young person remains in education after the age of 18, an aftercare allowance of €300 is paid and the foster care allowance of €425 is ceased. That is a drop of €125 per week to meet the needs of the young person and is wholly inadequate in the context of his or her needs, particularly given current third level education costs. When a young person does not remain in education after the age of 18 and remains in the foster care home, no aftercare allowance or foster care allowance is paid. The needs of a young person at 17 years and 364 days do not disappear overnight. The supports that young person requires remain just as critical. We are asking for the aftercare allowance to be aligned to the foster care allowance rate so that a young person can continue to be supported appropriately after the age of 18, regardless of being in education. We want the aftercare allowance to be paid until a young person turns 23 at a minimum.

We know that the number of foster carers is declining. In quarter 1 of 2020, we had 4,192 approved foster carers in Ireland. In the same period in 2025, there were only 3,817. With 5,781 children in the care of the State, and rising, the figures do not bode well for the future. As our vision in the Irish Foster Care Association states, fostering needs to be recognised, valued and supported. Please support us in fostering a better future in budget 2026. I thank the committee.