Mike Kennelly (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Chair. First, I welcome the Minister, Deputy Foley, and her colleagues here this morning. I look forward to working with her. We served well in the last chamber we worked in together, in Kerry County Council. We worked well together and I sincerely wish her well in this very important role as Minister for children and equality. It is one role that every member inside here really has a personal stake in.

On the Minister's opening statement and her continued commitment to the children and equality committee, I acknowledge the significant areas she has addressed, including foster care, childcare and the legacy of mother and baby institutions. Each of these domains impacts on lives at the most personal and vulnerable levels.

Let me begin with foster care. One family in north Kerry retired after 40 years fostering only last week. I join the Minister in commending the tireless work for foster carers. They play an indispensible role in providing stability and compassion for children who have faced significant trauma. While the Minister has highlighted increases to the foster care allowance, with €400 for the under-12s and €425 for the over-12s, I would question whether this alone is enough to reverse the troubling decline in the number of foster carers nationwide. Have we done enough to address the wider structural issues deterring people from fostering, such as administrative burdens, delays in placements and a lack of respite support, which is vital? Financial assistance is welcome but fostering is more about the ecosystem of support than it is about the money. Could we not commit to a wider strategy that includes mental health support, which has been mentioned already, respite services and perhaps even a dedicated support liaison for every foster family?

The Minister acknowledged the continued use of special emergency arrangements and Tusla's efforts to reduce them but those efforts may not be enough. How many children are currently placed in inappropriate or temporary settings simply because there is no alternative? What is the timeline to ensure every child in the care of the State has a stable, suitable and regulated place to call home?

Turning to early learning and childcare, the Minister has rightly noted the unprecedented levels of State investment, and I obviously welcome the introduction of core funding. The intention to cap these fees and further reduce childcare costs to €200 per child per month is fantastic news for hard-pressed families. However, I would like to better understand how the Minister's goal will be achieved. Is there a concrete timeline for when this reduction will be phased in, and how will we ensure the necessary resources are allocated to support childcare providers in meeting this target without compromising the quality of care? Furthermore, as has been asked, how we do plan to balance this reduction with the needs of rural childcare providers, which may face higher operational costs?

I also acknowledge the positive steps taken through Equal Start and the inclusion model. These are critical for breaking cycles of disadvantage, but the goal must remain not just access but equitable quality of care. Is the pay increase for early years staff translating into lower turnover and better outcomes for children on the ground? That is a vital question. It would be helpful to see data on this as the core funding scheme matures.

I thank the Minister, and I look forward to working constructively with her and her Department within the committee to ensure our ambitious plans result in real, measurable improvements in the lives of our children.