Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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34. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on whether foster carers are being given the required supports to care for children in their care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31180/17]

Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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There are a total of 6,300 children in care in Ireland, as per the figures for the first quarter of this year. Of these, 5,819 are in a supportive family network. Obviously, they have come to this situation through some trauma in their own lives. I want to pay tribute to the many thousands of foster families who have dedicated their lives to rearing other people's children. Does the Minister believe foster carers are being given the required supports to care for the children in their care?

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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To follow on from the last exchange, foster carers are acknowledged as the backbone of our child care services. Foster care is, by far, the main form of alternative care for children in need of care and protection. It is the preferred option in Ireland for children who cannot live with their parents or guardians. At the end of March this year, 92% of children in care were in a foster care placement. More than a quarter of these children are placed with relative foster carers and the rest are with general foster carers. Foster carers receive a number of targeted supports to ensure they continue to function as a recognised and valued part of the alternative care system.

It is vital that all children in care and their carers receive adequate support to ensure a successful placement. Key elements of the support provided to foster carers include a link social worker, access to training and support group meetings and the allocation of a child and family social worker for each child in care. It is important that foster carers have access to specialist services to meet the child's identified needs. In some situations, respite care for children may be arranged, if and when it is part of their care plan.

Pre-assessment and ongoing training is compulsory for all foster carers in order to equip them with the skills and knowledge to provide high-quality care. Tusla addresses the training needs of relatives who are foster carers separately in recognition of the specific dynamics and the personal nature of relative care. In addition to these supports, foster carers are entitled to specific support in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect, or a serious concern being made relating to the quality of care provided or experienced. For foster carers, this may include being supported by the support and mediation service provided by the Irish Foster Care Association. Tusla has initiated a new national policy to guide social workers in how they should deal with allegations about foster carers.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I could not agree more with the Minister when she says children in foster care and their supportive foster care families deserve and should receive all necessary supports. I have already mentioned that no matter what leads to a child being in foster care, there has been some type of chaos within their family situation. There is no doubt many of these children need psychological services and extra medical services to help them reach their full potential. This is not always the case, however, and I have to share with the Minister the heart-breaking case that only recently occurred in my constituency of Kildare South.

A nine-year old boy from Dublin, who we will call John, was placed with a family as their very first foster child. This was possibly the first mistake because John had many needs and perhaps it should have been a more experienced family at that point in time. John had lived a very chaotic life. Both his parents were drug addicts and his father was in prison. He arrived into a loving home and a huge bond was formed, despite the many issues he had, such as the fact he was never taught to use and toilet and that he pulled a knife on his foster parents. In spite of all of this, he did not miss a day in school and the family were in constant contact with a very supportive school. He joined a local football club and he loved it. However, the foster family begged for additional psychological supports and they did not receive them. When I put this down as a parliamentary question, John was still in his home and his foster parents were begging for these supports. Since then, he has been removed and put in a residential home. He has to start in a new school. He has no football club. This is a disgrace.

Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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I must call the Minister. The Deputy can come back in.

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I would be happy to receive additional information and to follow up on that case outside the context of the Chamber. It is important to note that most foster carers have a link social worker who provides a support to them. It is the case that Tusla has identified that the priority in terms of link social workers is for new placements, children nearing 18 or children with challenges such as disability, mental health and situations where there are difficulties regarding access. That additional support is important in those types of cases. In addition, Tusla is providing funding to the Irish Foster Care Association, which offers a range of supports to carers, including advocacy, mediation, training and a phone advice service.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister and do not for a moment doubt her bona fides in this area. I will be in contact with her office in regard to this specific situation. I have listened to the tears of the heart-broken foster mother, who really felt she was the last chance for this young boy. I would share the foster mother's concerns about this little boy surviving and having a life that a young boy of his age should have.

I know Tusla and the social workers operate in an environment of uncertainty and I accept that, in many cases, the social workers are not getting the supports they need. As the Minister acknowledges, it is hugely important that the interventions take place. The supports that are needed have to be readily accessible. I believe John's foster situation was doomed to fail before it began because of the lack of assessment of his needs and the failure to put supports in place.

These foster families absolutely need to have all they can to sort out the chaos of these children's lives. As my colleague, Deputy Rabbitte, said, it is so important to link in with EPIC, Sugru and Care Leavers' Network with regard to their life experiences.

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I am happy to take the details. I am concerned about the issues raised. With regard to the answers I have been providing, generally in the process of identifying foster carers, providing supports, preassessment, ongoing training and the provision of the link worker the supports are there. If at times, and perhaps this is the case in this instance, this does not provide sufficient support it is regrettable. I look forward to continuing the conversation.