Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

90. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection his plans to develop a pension solution for foster carers, in recognition of the enormous contribution they make to vulnerable children in our society, as committed to in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50587/25]

Joe Neville (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

What are the Minister's plans to develop a pension solution for foster carers in recognition of the enormous contribution they make to vulnerable children in our society, as committed to in the programme for Government?

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Government acknowledges the very important role that foster carers play. We remain fully committed to supporting them. The contributory State pension system already provides a range of measures to recognise caring periods outside of paid employment, such as PRSI credits, homemaking disregards and home caring periods, to recognise caring periods of up to 20 years outside of paid employment in the calculation of our payment rate. Foster carers are entitled to benefit from these measures on the same basis as other carers and parents. If they are not in receipt of child benefit they can still qualify for the homemaker's scheme or home caring periods, provided the caring periods are confirmed by Tusla.

Since January 2024 long-term carer's contributions can be awarded to a person who has cared for an incapacitated person for a period of 20 years or more. These contributions are treated in the same way as paid contributions for contributory State pension entitlement and can be used to fill any gap in a person's contribution record, including satisfying the minimum 520 contributions required for eligibility. Foster carers who have cared for an incapacitated dependent or dependents for more than 20 years also benefit from this provision.

These measures assist for carers to access the State pension system in the same way as biological or adoptive parents, while ensuring the system remains sustainable. Any future change to the State pension system will have been considered in the overall policy and budgetary context, including, as we have just discussed, the sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund.

Joe Neville (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Minister for his response. I am especially conscious of the words in the programme for Government whereby we will seek to examine the pension provision for foster carers to acknowledge their long-term commitment and ensure valued support after years of fostering. I am very conscious that 4,000 foster carers in Ireland provide a service which, as with services provided by other people in this area, benefits the State and makes a difference to individual lives. They help people not only during the time they are with them but also for the rest of their lives. They give them a stable environment which they may not have had otherwise. Deputy Timmins outlined the gender balance issue because most typically it is women who look after children in these situations. We want to ensure they are looked after and that there is fairness and equity in the scheme in this way. As I have said, we have a plan to do it. I thank the Minister for his comment. I hope it is something we can look into in future.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As Deputy Neville knows, there is a commitment in the programme for Government to look at the long-term pension provision for foster carers. The Department is engaging with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, which has line responsibility and operational management for foster caring, and with Tusla. We will engage with other stakeholders as necessary in terms of looking at the commitment to see how we can operationalise it.

I absolutely assure Deputy Neville that within the Department we are very aware of the very important work of foster carers. This is why this year I expanded the back to school clothing and footwear allowance to specifically include foster parents, who had been directly excluded from the scheme until then. I will continue to work in the Department to ensure we have the best supports available. I plan to have a meeting with Foster Care Ireland in the coming weeks.

Joe Neville (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Minister for his very genuine response and for his commitment. As he outlined, he is very aware of the contribution that foster carers make. He has demonstrated his knowledge on the topic and his willingness to engage further in the coming weeks and during in his term as Minister. It is something we will continue to work on together and I will follow up on it. I thank the Minister for answering the question so clearly and with a depth of knowledge and understanding of the issue.