Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on this Bill and to acknowledge the very fundamental shift in emphasis it represents for the Legislature, the Government and, most importantly, the children of Ireland. I also welcome the renewed attention and focus on the welfare of children who are born in this country. Everyone on this island shares the view that children are our greatest asset.

There has been a great deal of debate regarding the unborn child and women who experience crisis pregnancies in recent months. It is now time to reflect on the very positive role foster families have played in providing real options for women who find themselves pregnant and unable to care for their children. Unlike the minority of persons who believed themselves to be in possession of the high moral ground and who engaged in a level of pontificating engaged during that debate, foster families have quietly continued to quietly offer real solutions by increasing the range of options open to women experiencing crisis pregnancies. I hope many more families will consider becoming foster carers and will be willing to provide care for children in their own homes from birth onwards.

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