Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We can all sympathise with the plight of some unaccompanied minors, especially those fleeing war zones, starvation or other particularly difficult situations. Moving those young people into as normal a family life as possible must be the priority. I listened to what the Minister said about the timeframe and it appears to be improving between needs assessment and actual placement. What number of foster parents and families is willing to foster or adopt? In the last Dáil, we had a lot of correspondence from Irish couples and individuals who wanted to foster or adopt from other countries but were unable to do so because certain protocols and agreements were not in place. Does the Department have a waiting list of parents or is there a shortage of parents who are prepared to foster and adopt?

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