Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Rabbitte. I am happy to reply to her question again, with perhaps some additional information.

Under Tusla's current national leaving and aftercare policy, young people leaving care are expected to have an aftercare plan. Tusla has informed me that from January up to the end of September 2016, 467 young persons in care turned 18 years of age. Of these, 457 young people were eligible for aftercare supports and 412 are availing of the aftercare supports. There were a total of 1,841 young people aged 18 to 22 years in receipt of aftercare supports from Tusla at the end of the third quarter in 2016, and 82% of these young people had an aftercare plan in place.

Tusla is putting in place revisions to its operational national leaving and aftercare policy to bring it into line with the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2015. Once the amendments to the 1991 Act are commenced there will be a statutory obligation on Tusla to have an aftercare plan prior to the young person leaving care. Those who have left care before the changes and who do not have an aftercare plan can, under these amendments, obtain an aftercare plan from Tusla up to their 21st birthday. Tusla is identifying gaps in the aftercare service nationally and has indicated that this will require an expansion in aftercare management and workers. Tusla is currently finalising arrangements for the publication of its 2017 business plan, which sets out the priorities for these important services in 2017. Its 2017 budget, as Deputy Rabbitte knows, was increased by €37 million, bringing its funding to over €700 million in Exchequer funding, and this included additional funding to support service delivery to implement legislation.

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