Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

Ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh an Aire Stáit agus chomhghairdeas a dhéanamh leis as ucht an jab atá déanta aige. Mar a deireann an seanfhocal, áfach, "a lán déanta, níos mó le déanamh".

I am delighted to have been responsible for putting this motion on the clár of the House this evening. There are a number of reasons for doing so, one of which was to bring the area of child care to centre stage. I am not saying it had not been there previously but five years ago, as chairman of the then Midland Health Board, I was asked to formally launch the Irish Foster Care Association and in the course of a conversation with a number of social workers and others on that occasion, I was made familiar with a number of problems that confronted the Irish Foster Care Association, one of which was the difficulty in recruiting social workers. I am delighted that 100 new social workers are being recruited. I raised that issue in the previous Seanad on a number of occasions and asked that career guidance teachers would exhort young people in education to pursue the social worker occupation as a professional career.

In further conversations with people involved in the area of foster care, I was informed there was an ongoing difficulty with recruiting social workers in the Republic of Ireland, on the island of island and within the British Isles. I understand social workers were recruited from as far away as South Africa. There is a difficulty in that regard and again I would ask career guidance teachers to encourage young people to pursue this profession as a career.

I thank the Leader for agreeing to have this motion on the agenda, having raised it a number of times in the House. I thank Senator Healy Eames for welcoming the motion. We might not all agree with the text but it is an opportunity for all sides of the House to address what we consider to be the problems arising from child care and foster care. The last part of the motion states: "Seanad Éireann further commends the foster carers undertaking this valuable role and supports the Government and the Health Service Executive in their continuous efforts to encourage and recruit new foster carers into the service."

The ideal place for a child to be brought up is in the home where there is a healthy, caring atmosphere. Foster carers provide that vital service. Care centres are an option I would not favour. That is the reason it is so important to exhort additional people to offer foster care.

At this point I welcome to the Gallery members of the Irish Foster Care Association and Fostering First Ireland. I thank them for their advice, support and concern. The Irish Foster Care Association is an important organisation because foster carers need support and back-up facilities. That is precisely what the Irish Foster Care Association provides. It was formed in 1981 by a group of foster parents and social workers. Although she is not in the Chamber, in a jocose way I can say that Senator Feeney was out and about at that time also. To return to the nub of the problem, it is important we have people with the generosity of spirit shown by foster carers to provide this service.

In a career that spanned over 30 years in the psychiatric services, I have been struck by children who failed the system, or the system failed the children, who found their way into the psychiatric services. That is regrettable. One aspect that impressed me was that people fostered children with very challenging behaviour and children with a sensory disablement. We should be vigilant at all times that children are protected and cared for to the highest levels of excellence. As those involved in this area are aware, it is the parents who contribute to the formation of the person and influence the child most. That is why it is so important that children grow up in a caring setting, preferably in their own home with their own parent or parents, but if that is not available, with foster parents. Foster parents provide the care and I cannot praise them enough for that.

The Minister of State referred to the amendment to the Child Care Act that gives foster parents certain rights. That amendment is welcome and is an important development. I understand it comes into operation today and, therefore, this discussion is very relevant to that matter.

There is no point in throwing pious platitudes at the Irish Foster Care Association and foster carers. I say to the Leas-Chathaoirleach, the Minister of State and all the Members of this House that in six months' time I will be placing this motion again, with the co-operation of our spokesperson, on the clár of Seanad Éireann because there is too much at stake for children and society. We read in the local, national and international newspapers what can happen when we take our eye off the ball and we should cast ourselves in the role of the busybody or nosey parker in ensuring child safety and security, and ensuring child rights, attain the highest level of our attention.

I appreciate the Opposition has a job to do and good opposition is as important as good government.