Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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663. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of plans to develop a national policy on the rights of children living in informal kinship care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13882/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I am please to advise that the current Programme for Government contains commitments with regard to kinship carers. Accordingly, my Department:

• is in the process of completing the scoping exercise on informal kinship care in Ireland. This exercise will cover relevant legislation, the current reality for families in these arrangements including current access to supports, as well as a review of national and international literature and international perspectives and examples of best practice;
• is ensuring that the voice of the child is present from the earliest possible stage. Consultations with children and young people with experience of informal kinship care arrangements are planned. The piloting phase for these consultations is complete and these pilots are informing the consultations with children scheduled to begin in Q2. This approach is aligned with Article 12 of the UNCRC and the requirement that the child's views must be considered and taken into account in all matters affecting him or her;
• has commenced research to better understand the experiences of kinship carers, which will be completed in Q3;
• will be consulting with parents of children with experience of informal kinship care as part of the development of the policy and this is scheduled to start in Q2.