Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I add my voice of welcome to our distinguished guests, particularly to Michael Chambers and Denis Kiely, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at lunchtime. I can assure them that Senator Chambers is a beacon of hope and light and I have no doubt but that they are all incredibly proud of her.

I wish to raise a few issues today and will first refer to foster carers. I have been dealing with a number of foster parents in Kildare over the past while about the foster carer's allowance. It is quite shocking that the foster carer's allowance has not been increased since 2009, that is, for 14 years. The allowance pays for a child's daily living needs, including food, clothing, travel expenses, education, hobbies, sporting activities etc.Foster families provide a very safe haven for vulnerable children and they absolutely need to be supported. I have been in contact with Tusla and the Minister. The consumer price index showed an 11.7% increase between 2009 and four months ago. I would say it has been a lot more since. We should have a debate in the House on the inflation rate and foster parents.

I want to raise the issue of the immigrant investor programme, IIP. I am dealing with a wonderful organisation in my area, Sensational Kids, which does incredible work in supporting vulnerable children with additional needs. It has very ambitious plans to expand its operation and provide therapy for children in Kildare and other counties. It wants to have a centre with the potential to support 30,000 children in the coming ten years. Karen Leigh has built this up with blood, sweat and tears. The group has run into big problems with the IIP. Costs have increased since 2021, when Sensational Kids originally costed its plans. It was told there was no deadline for the IIP and it could make a submission when it was ready. It was in the process of looking for extra funding. Unfortunately, as we know, the IIP was closed overnight without any notice. There is a big danger the centre will not go ahead. The Government has to do something. I ask the Minister for Justice to show compassion on humanitarian grounds. Sensational Kids would now have only three quarters of what would be required. It is very important that we do something and it is important to send this message out today.

There are five schools in Newbridge that do not have the required staff for the school completion programme. They have not had the staff since the start of the school year. It is very important that something is done to provide the staff, or to provide funding so the schools can spend the moneys allocated on other ways of supporting the children who really need it.