Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth to meet with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for engagement on Foster Care issues

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Kathleen Funchion TD said “the Committee looks forward to discussing the issues that foster care in Ireland is experiencing with Minister O’Gorman and his officials.

One of the main issues that we will look to explore with the Minister and his officials are the actions they think could be implemented to increase the numbers of foster carers. Ireland is among world leaders in foster care. According to UNICEF, approximately eight million children and youth around the world live in alternative care settings and in Ireland this figure stands at approximately 6,000 at any given time.

We know foster carers provide a safe, secure, and stable home environment for the most vulnerable children and young people in our society. Figures from Tusla show that at the end of Q2 2022 there were 5,836 children in the care of the State. Of these 89% (5,219) were in foster care, 7.4% (429) were in residential care and the remaining 3.2% (188) were in other care placements. Across Ireland foster carers continue to open their homes to children and young people and we, as a Committee, will continue dialogue with the Department to examine how these numbers can be increased.

Read more on the work carried out by The Joint Committee on Children, Disability, Equality, Integration & Youth

You can view the meeting in Committee Room 4 on Oireachtas TV