Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am asking the question because a reply we recently received to a parliamentary question illustrated that up to 6 August this year, €19 million was spent on private services and 485 children, or 9.3%, were placed with non-statutory fostering agencies, that is, the private for-profit agencies. The figures released yesterday in respect of Tusla and the high turnover of staff further indicate that something is not working in the system.

We do not want a situation where children are going into these private fostering arrangements. One situation I have across a lot, and I have had a number of good conversations, in fairness, with Tusla regarding it, is where family members, particularly grandparents, want to foster. There is some sort of breakdown or it just does not seem to be working. It is not that such family members are deemed ineligible but they do not seem to qualify. They are trying to keep the children within the family and a home environment but they do not always qualify for the payment. That is very difficult, particularly if people are at an age where they have retired, their family is raised and they are not necessarily going to be working again. We need to try to examine this because it is clearly not working at present. I apologise to the Acting Chair for going over time.

See this speech in context