Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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1897. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason foster parents are not entitled to claim the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance; if there are supports available to them from her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38556/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The Government has provided €47.4 million for the scheme in 2017.

Foster care allowances are payable by the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, which falls under the remit of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. This allowance is provided in order to allow foster carers to meet the child’s daily living needs including the cost of clothing and footwear and school related items. Accordingly, the back to school clothing and footwear allowance is not payable in respect of foster children.

It is the case that my Department provides a number of supports for foster carers subject to satisfying the usual conditions for receipt of these payments. These include:

- Monthly child benefit in respect of the foster child,

- A weekly increase - €29.80 - for a qualified child (which can include a foster child) where the foster parent or his or her spouse/partner is in receipt of a weekly income support from my Department,

- The Back to Work Family Dividend where the foster parent transitions from eligible social welfare payments into employment and

- Family Income Supplement where the foster child is a qualified child for the purposes of the scheme and the foster family qualify for a payment.

In addition, social welfare legislation provides that foster care allowances paid by Tusla are not taken into account in assessing the means of any weekly social assistance payments.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.