Vol. 537 No. 5
304 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Health and Children when he proposes to issue a directive to the Southern Health Board regarding the increase announced in the budget for a foster allowance; if the said increase applies in respect of every child in foster care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16625/01]
As the Deputy may be aware, the Child Care (Placement of Children in Foster Care) Regulations, 1995, and the Child Care (Placement of Children with Relatives) Regulations, 1995, stipulate that health boards shall pay foster parents or relatives who are fostering an "allowance of not less than such amount as may from time to time be specified by the Minister" and that this allowance shall be paid "in respect of any child placed with them". Following the budget of December 2000 I was delighted to announce a restructuring of the foster care allowance.
The proposed restructuring is one of the recommendations contained in the working group on foster care report which was launched earlier today. The report recommends that the discretionary payments scheme for foster carers be abolished and that the foster care allowances be increased from £71.55 to £200 per week per child of under 12 years, and from £85.75 to £220 per week per child of 12 years and over. A circular is being prepared by my Department, in consultation with the Department of Finance and the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs, which will be issued to all health boards in the near future in preparation for the introduction of the restructured allowance scheme at the end of July.
