Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and for the opportunity to outline the current arrangements in place regarding foster parents and the one-parent family payment. It is important to recognise the significant contribution that foster parents make. I know foster parents myself and the Deputy is correct that they carry out a valuable role. He has shared Kirsty's story with us, and I am sure there are more people like her out there. Many of them are probably not one-parent families, however, and that is fair enough.

I have a prepared answer and the Deputy can read it at his leisure. The main point is that Tusla provides supports to foster parents. Those payments are made directly to the foster parents, and the social welfare system seeks to provide supports more generally. As the Deputy will be aware, social welfare legislation provides for the payment of an increase for a qualified child on certain primary social welfare payments. It is possible, therefore, for foster parents to get the one-parent family payment if they have children of their own, but they will not get the payment if they only have foster children.

We are probably not talking about a great number of people in that situation but the foster care allowance is currently €325 per week for children under the age of 12 and €350 per week for children over 12. This compares with a one-parent family payment for children aged under seven of €239 per week, and a weekly jobseeker's transition payment of €239 in the case of a child under 12 or €243 in the case of a child over 12. There is an enhanced payment in the respect. Where a child has been placed in foster care by Tusla, and the child has been in continuous care of the foster parents for six months, child benefit would then transfer to the foster parent. Tusla also provides a range of other supports to foster parents to help and support them in the invaluable work they do.

The Deputy asked whether I will consider it and ask my officials to review it, which I will do. I think that is a fair request and I am happy to get them to reconsider the issue. I am happy to engage with him on it.

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