Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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371. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she will consider creating more peer support for children who have lost a parent; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10454/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I can inform the Deputy that Tusla, through its Family Support Services Counselling funding, annually supports services providing peer support to children and young people following bereavement. Its guide in this is the Irish Childhood Bereavement Network (ICBN) ‘Bereavement Care Pyramid’, which highlights the value of Level 2 peer support availability in communities. Tusla recognises that peer support can often be the appropriate and proportionate response for many children following bereavement, including the loss of a parent.

In 2025 Tusla is committed to continue to fund the delivery of peer support for bereaved children by Rainbows Ireland across the country. Funding to Rainbows Ireland in 2024 was approximately €326,000.

If gaps are identified for the children and young people within local areas, Tusla will consider any requests for expansion, depending on a budget being available.