Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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It was a priority of mine to secure a meaningful increase to the foster care allowance in this year’s Budget in order to support the vital role being carried out by foster carers.

As outlined in Budget 2024, from January 2024 the rates of the foster care allowance have increased by €25 per week, up to €350 per week for children aged under 12 and €377 per week for those over 12. The foster care allowance will be further increased in November 2024, up to €400 per week for children aged under 12 and €425 per week for those over 12.

These increases mean that foster carers will receive over €1,700 additional funding per child over the course of 2024, amounting to an extra €300 per month by the end of 2024 for each child placed with them, when compared with the allowance rates of 2009-2023. The changes in Budget 2024 will bring the annual rate of the foster care allowance to an amount of €20,800 for a child under 12 and €22,100 for a child over 12.

I understand the disappointment amongst foster carers that the full increase to the foster care allowance will not come into effect until November 2024. However, given the very many competing demands on the limited funds of the State, including from across the Tusla budget and from other responsibilities within the remit of my own Department, necessary compromises had to be made. In this context, it was decided that it was necessary to introduce the increases to the foster care allowance on a phased basis over 2024. My priority was to secure a significant increase to the allowance, albeit at the cost of a phased implementation.