Matters related to foster caring, including any criteria relating to work and specific financial supports, are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and Tusla.
The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The scheme operates from June to September each year.
The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a qualified child allowance is being paid and eligible children between the ages of 18 and 22 who are in full-time second level education and in respect of whom a Child Support Payment (formerly Increase for a Qualified Child) is being paid.
The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is not payable in respect of foster children as the financial support provided to foster parents by Tusla, the foster care allowance, includes provision for the cost of clothing and footwear for the foster child.
The State Pension (Contributory) is funded from the Social Insurance Fund through the contributions paid by workers. The rate of payment reflects the number of social insurance contributions paid over a working life. However, it is recognised that people may have periods out of the workforce for reasons such as caring responsibilities, including foster caring. Accordingly, once a person has met the minimum requirement of 520 paid contributions, the State Pension (Contributory) provides measures including PRSI credits, Homemaking Disregards and Homecaring periods to recognise these periods of care outside of paid employment in the calculation of the rate of payment.
Foster carers are entitled to the benefits of PRSI credits and Homemaking Disregards and Homecaring periods where they meet the criteria, in the same way as biological or adoptive parents. There is no difference in treatment. Fosters carers can register for caring periods for each child under the age of 12 if the foster carer is in receipt of Child Benefit. If the foster carer is not in receipt of Child Benefit, they can still qualify provided the caring periods are confirmed by Tusla. In the case of a child who is over the age of 12, periods can be registered where the child requires continuous supervision and regular assistance throughout the day with the activities of daily living, including nursing care. There is a maximum of 20 years’ caring periods available.
In addition, long term carer’s contributions are available that attribute the equivalent of a paid contribution to long-term carers of incapacitated people to cover gaps in their contribution record for State Pension (Contributory) purposes. Foster carers who have cared for an incapacitated person may qualify for these contributions.
These measures combined strike a balance between assisting foster carers to access the State pension system in the same way as biological or adoptive parents, while ensuring that the system remains sustainable.
Officials from my Department have actively engaged with the Department for Children and Tulsa on this matter, have met with representative foster carers and have hosted an information seminar for nearly 300 foster carers to explain the State pension system and their entitlements.
The cost of living measures which I announced to assist households as part of Budget 2025 are linked to income support payments administered by my department.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
