Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 200: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will provide the assessment requirements and practice in relation to relative and non-relative foster parents; the steps she intends to take in this area and a timeframe for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35332/10]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Health Service Executive is required under the Child Care Act, 1991 to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. Where a child requires care or protection that he/she is unlikely to receive unless the child is taken into care, the Health Service Executive must take the child into its care and provide the most appropriate form of alternative care for that child.

Children who are taken into the care of the HSE under the provisions of the Child Care Act, 1991 and placed in foster care or relative care in accordance with the Child Care Regulations, 1995. In order to become a foster carer or relative carer as set out in the regulations the following must be completed and provided:

A. In respect of foster carers and relatives they must provide the following to the HSE:

1. Written report from medical practitioner/GP

2. Name and addresses of two referees

3. Garda clearance from the Garda Vetting Unit in relation to them and those in the home

B. The HSE must carry out an assessment of suitability of the persons and their homes.

C. A report of the assessment must go before the foster care committee who decide as to the suitability or not to be foster/relative carers.

D. Foster / relative carers must receive advice, guidance and training.

While the obligations above are the same in respect of relatives and non-relative carers the Regulations in respect of relatives differ slightly in that they allow for the circumstances where a child is placed with a relative in the case of an emergency. In this regard the regulations allowed for the fact that a full assessment and the other obligations set out above would not be complete at the stage that a child was placed with a relative on an emergency basis. In these circumstances the regulations stated that it would suffice if the HSE had formed the opinion that the relatives were suitable to care for the child on an emergency basis following an interview and a visit to their home and any other relevant and possible enquiries.