Children and Youth Affairs Committee to discuss foster provision, in light of most recent ‘Chaos in Care’ revelations

The Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs will tomorrow continue their examination of issues arising in foster care services in Ireland. The Committee will hear from representatives from the Irish Foster Care Association (IFCA) and Empowering People in Care (EPIC).

The meeting will commence at 10.00am in Committee Room 1 tomorrow, Wednesday, 31 May 2017.

Committee Chairman Jim Daly TD, said “As further reports of the systemic failures of the State to care for children emerge, it is clear that we have an ever increasing role in highlighting areas of poor practice and bringing this to the attention of the Minister. These repeated failings, highlighted by Dr Geoffrey Shannon, are not acceptable. They are distressing in the extreme and cannot be allowed to continue.”

“At our last meeting on issues arising in foster care services, we held constructive discussions with HIQA about how regulation is a significant contributor to improving quality of care and safety for vulnerable people – but also heard about further failures in the system. HIQA came to us not just describing the problems that they are seeing in the system, however, but also offering solutions around dynamic regulation - and this is to be welcomed.”

“Tomorrow we will take the opportunity to further our analysis of the foster care system with the Irish Foster Care Association (IFCA) and Empowering People in Care (EPIC) – two bodies at the coal face of foster care provision in Ireland. On the conclusion of this series of meetings, which will include a meeting with Tusla next, we will bring our report to Government with the aim of proposing positive change and increased services to those in care.”

Committee proceedings can be viewed live here.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.