Seán Crowe
Ceist:194 Mr. Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when the fostering allowance was established and the reason it was established. [23893/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 7 October 2004
Ceisteanna (194)
Freagraí scríofa
The "boarding out" of children in Ireland is a fostering arrangement which dates back to life under the Brehon Laws. More recently the boarding out of children by health boards, which took over the function of local authorities in this area, was governed by sections 55 and 56 of the Health Act 1953 which replaced the provisions of the earlier Public Assistance Act 1939. Regulations made under the Act in 1954 required a health authority to "provide the funds necessary for the maintenance, clothing and education of any child boarded out by them and for such other assistance of such child as they may consider reasonable".
In 1980, the final report of the task force on child care services recommended that "in all cases the allowance paid to foster-parents should at least be sufficient to cover the added expense which the acceptance of a foster-child entails". The Boarding Out of Children Regulations 1983 replaced the Boarding Out of Children Regulations 1954 and defined a foster parent as "a person with whom a child is or is proposed to be boarded out" and stipulated, inter alia, that in providing funds for the maintainence etc. of such children “a health board shall comply with any directions given by the Minister”. Under the provisions of the Child Care Act 1991 health boards have an obligation to take a child into care if he or she requires care or protection. Currently children are placed in foster care in accordance with the Child Care (Placement of Children in Foster Care) Regulations 1995 which provide, inter alia, for the payment of a fostering allowance. The regulations state: “A health board shall pay foster parents in respect of any child placed with them in accordance with these Regulations an allowance of not less than such amount as may from time to time be specified by the Minister”. Between 1996 and 2000 the allowance for children under 12 increased from £45.60 per week to £75.40 per week, an increase of 65%. The allowance for children over 12 increased by approximately 40% in the same period, from £61.80 per week to £85.75 per week. Foster parents could also avail of discretionary payments from the health boards for additional expenses incurred.
The report of the working group on foster care, May 2001 identified problems in the existing system of allowances, particularly in relation to the discretionary payments. The group considered the level of financial support to be inadequate and recommended increasing the allowance to £200 or €254 per week for children under twelve and £220 or €279 for children of 12 years of age and over, and that discretionary payments be abolished. It further recommended that orphans' allowances or pensions, which are administered by the Department of Social and Family Affairs, should not be paid in respect of children for whom foster care allowances were being paid. The report of the working group was accepted in principle by Government. The increased foster care allowance was introduced in 2001. The current rates are €289.50 per week for a child under 12 and €316.50 per week for a child over 12.