Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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849. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason Tusla must take out a care order through the courts placing children into State care in order for their guardian to receive foster care allowance (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61112/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Guardians Payment, which is the responsibility of the Department of Social Protection, is a welfare payment available to informal kinship carers, where the biological parents have either died or abandoned their child.

The Foster Care Allowance is a weekly allowance paid directly to foster carers, which is a payment in respect of the child in their care. The allowance is not considered as means for social welfare purposes, and is not subject to tax. Relative foster carers are held to the same standards as all foster carers, and must be assessed and approved by Tusla. Accordingly, the Foster Care Allowance may only be provided to those individuals assessed and approved as a foster carer and currently caring for a child who has been placed with them under the Child Care Act 1991.

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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850. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her Department and Tusla have explored the use of artificial intelligence or automated data systems to support intake triage, case risk scoring, and compliance monitoring within Tusla’s case management system, in view of the potential for such technology to accelerate low-risk case filtering, improve oversight, and free up social worker time for front-line work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61129/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Thank you Deputy, for your question. To date , my Department and Tusla have not explored together, the use of artificial intelligence or automated data systems to support Tusla front-line social work. I have referred your question to Tusla, with regard to any such considerations operationally, within, and I understand they have issued a direct response.