Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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127. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide figures and statistics from the Tusla - Child and Family Agency on the number of care-experienced young persons of 17 to 24 years of age who have children who are now in care; the years that these figures relate to; and the support framework that is in place to ensure that these parents are given the best opportunity of parenting their children. [40781/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy should note, that the information requested on young parents with care experience who have children in care is not collected nationally by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. Aftercare is provided to all eligible young people leaving care which includes advice, guidance and practical (including accommodation and financial) support. The additional needs would be taken into account when the young person is a parent. Tusla has advised that 88.5% of 18-22 years olds in aftercare at the end of March 2015 were in stable accommodation, which includes young care leavers with children.

Every year, between 450 and 500 young adults leave the care of the State. The majority of those are currently eligible for an aftercare plan. The Government has decided to amend the legislative provisions regarding aftercare. The purpose of the new legislation is to ensure that an after care plan, developed before the young person leaves care, identifies their care needs and that appropriate supports are put in place.

Funding is made available to support a young person leaving care who is to remain on with their foster family as part of their aftercare plan. In other cases, funding supports are available to facilitate independent living or supported lodgings. Additional supports are also provided by other State bodies such as young adults leaving care aged 18-24 receive a higher rate of jobseekers allowance than other job seekers of the same age.

Tusla has continued to develop its aftercare service since the introduction of its National Leaving and Aftercare Policy of 2011. The implementation of this policy has seen the introduction of new practices, including the establishment of steering groups, which are area based multidisciplinary teams who provide a forum to ensure enhanced inter-agency partnership to meet the needs of young people leaving care and aftercare, as well as the standardisation of the aftercare allowance. Under this policy, the circumstances where a care leaver who is also a parent are addressed as part of the assessment of need.