Ms Michele Clarke:

The working group on direct provision met for the first time last Monday. I am the representative from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. We are a very large group and very busy. Our chair, Mr. Justice Bryan McMahon, has set us quite a task to deliver across a range of issues. The tranche I will most directly be involved with is the living conditions of people in direct provision, particularly, from the Department's perspective, in respect of children. I think it was because I am the head of social work in the Department that I was asked to sit on that committee. The expectation is that we would report by Easter, but as our chairperson has said, Easter is coming early this year and we want to do a proper job.

Deputy McLellan had some questions in relation to the use of section 5. There is nothing to preclude any child up to the age of 18 being taken into care, and that would be the preference of the agency. From time to time, a 16 or 17 year old may object to coming into care and feel that this is not appropriate for them, and yet they have needs. They need to be supported if they are not able to live at home. Where they are placed in supported lodgings, these are approved placements with a responsible adult. They are provided in domestic settings where the responsible adult looks after them. This person has been checked from a medical point of view as well as undergoing Garda vetting and has been selected in particular for their suitability to work with teenagers, often teenagers who may not agree that they need to be cared for. An allowance is paid. The numbers are very small. I do not have them to hand, but I can get them for the Deputy if she wishes. The agency prefers to have a child fully in care where that is possible.

The Deputy also had a question on aftercare and young adults who remain living with their foster carers. The allowance can be paid at the moment until they are 23 if they are in full-time education, or up to 21 for those not in full-time education. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has a working group which is looking at standardising the payment for aftercare in foster care. At the moment it can be anything up to €365 a week. We have more than 500 young people in aftercare who are in third level education, and issues arise as to what proportion of the allowance should go to the young person and what proportion should stay with the foster carer, since the young person will return home, as college students do.