Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is important to recognise the challenges faced by foster families. Despite the increases, which are very welcome, the Minister is well aware that when some foster families take on children with additional needs, they have to source services privately. Like any parent, when they look at a child, having been told it will take two, three or four years to get an National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, assessment and access occupational therapy, speech and language therapy or whatever else, they will decide to seek services privately.

There is, at times, an inherent bias in the State in the way we value the private sector. I do not like to call it the private sector, because these are not commercial arrangements. Foster caring is a vocation for those who take it on. In essence, I am not sure the State fully recognises their contribution. The Minister correctly pointed to the benefits of being part of a single family, with perhaps siblings, rather than being in a residential setting. That is not to disrespect that form of care, but there is a vast difference.

Early childcare is related to this. We do not value what the private sector envelope is providing in terms of supports that the State, as the Minister highlighted, would pay ten times more for. We need to change that aspect of how we deal with people. I refer in particular to pension entitlements, which need to be sorted out for these people.

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