Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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198. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children placed in care in each of the past three years to date; the extent to which this met the demand and continues to so do; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38241/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The most recent figures provided by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, indicate that there were 6,132 children in care at the end of June 2018. It is vital that all children in care, and their carers, receive adequate support to ensure a successful placement.

Foster care is the main form of alternative care for children in need of care and protection, and is the preferred option for children who cannot live with their parents or guardians. Of the children in care, 92% were in foster care nationally; there were 4,057 (66%) children in general foster care, 1,615 (26%) in relative care and 364 (6%) children were in a residential care placement, with the remaining children in other care placements appropriate to their assessed needs.

For children who cannot live either at home or in an alternative family environment such as foster care, there are a number of types of residential care settings that may be appropriate, of which secure care is one type.

A very small number of children (2%) are in other care placements. Such placements can include supported lodgings, at home under a care order, detention centre/prison, youth homeless facilities, other residential centres e.g. therapeutic, disability, residential assessment, designated mother and baby units.

The following table details the number of children in care as at the 31st December on the past three years, and demonstrates that, year on year, this number has been declining.

** Annual Review of the Adequacy of Child Care and Family Support Services Available 2016

Foster care is the preferred option for children who have been received into care. This can be as a result of abuse and/or neglect and their parents' inability to care for them due to a combination of difficulties in their own lives. In recent years, more than 90% of children in care were in a foster care placement.

There are regular area recruitment campaigns to meet foster care demands. Fostering teams are responsible for the recruitment and assessment of foster carers. When an assessment is complete, a report is presented to the Foster Care Committee who decide whether or not to approve the applicant.

The recruitment and retention of an appropriate range of foster carers is part of Tusla's business plan.