Written Answers Nos. 2841-2860
2841. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 935 of 12 May 2026, the number of centres in respect of which unsolicited information was received in each of the years 2021 to 2025; the number in each year resulting in further action; the breakdown of same between statutory and private centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56390/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question relates to operational information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.
2842. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the target date by which the Child and Family Agency intends to reduce dependency on private residential care placements; the numerical reduction target adopted; the baseline against which that target is measured; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56391/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTusla, the Child and Family Agency, has acknowledged its increased reliance on private providers in recent years, and has committed to incrementally reduce this. It is also intends to increase its provision of statutory placements, as well as those provided by community & voluntary organisations.
The Department of Children, Disability and Equality has resourced Tusla to maintain and expand its provision of services through significant additional funding across successive Budgets. In Budget 2026, an overall increase of €177 million was secured for Tusla, representing a 14% increase in Tusla’s budget over its 2025 allocation. This brings Tusla’s total funding to over €1.4 billion for 2026. This increase includes an additional €53 million for mainstream residential care. Tusla plans to invest a total of €286 million in expanding mainstream residential care in 2026, increasing the number of placements for children in need to over 800.
While no specific target has been set at this time, Tusla reports that it opened an additional 38 residential care placements in 2025 and is on track to open a further 47 additional placements in 2026 and into 2027. Tusla has said that a further six properties are in the process of acquisition. In terms of staffing, Tusla is working to increase its workforce capacity through new supply routes, such as its apprenticeship programme, improved recruitment of social workers and social care workers, which has increased by 11% over the last three years.
Section 41 of the Child and Family Act, 2013 stipulates that the Minister provides guidance to Tusla in the form of the Performance Framework, which is published every three years. The Performance Framework is an opportunity to provide the Agency with policy guidance, direction and prioritisation parameters for the preparation of its corporate plan. Further, each year of the Framework is further governed by an annual Performance Statement, which provides direction for Tusla within the overall guidance of the Framework. The current Performance Statement includes priority 4.3.a, which states that Tusla should continue its efforts to increase its residential care capacity while reducing reliance on private provision and special emergency arrangements. An updated Performance Framework is currently being progressed.
Work is also underway on The National Policy Framework for Alternative Care. The Framework will aim to articulate a future and Whole of Government vision of alternative care in Ireland, and will also deliver on a Programme for Government commitment in this regard. This has included a robust consultation process, through which the views of members of the public, stakeholders, key workers and carers, and people with care experience were captured. The Framework will seek to address current issues in accessing a sufficient number of appropriate care places, and articulate a longer term vision for how the care system will operate into the future. The Framework is expected to be delivered in summer 2026.
2843. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total expenditure incurred on residential care placements outside the State in each of the years 2021 to 2025; the steps being taken to collate that expenditure centrally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56392/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question relates to operational information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.
2844. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the oversight, inspection and visiting arrangements in place in respect of children placed in residential care outside the State; the body responsible for same; the frequency of such visits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56393/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question relates to operational information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.
2845. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children currently awaiting a residential care placement in respect of whom no placement has been identified; the length of time each has been waiting, in banded form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56394/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question relates to operational information held by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the question has been referred to the Agency to reply directly to the Deputy.
2846. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the measures being taken under the current National Disability Strategy to improve the physical accessibility of public places and institutions for wheelchair users; whether additional targets or funding for accessibility are planned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56407/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI thank the Deputy for his question. Government is committed to improving the accessibility of public infrastructure and the built environment for disabled people, including wheelchair users and people with physical impairments.
This involves effective collaboration across several Government Departments, public agencies and local authorities, going well beyond the remit of any single Department or Government Minister.
The National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030, launched in September 2025, sets out a whole-of-government approach to advancing the rights of disabled people across several policy areas, including accessibility rights.
One of the key pillars of the Strategy – Independent Living and Active Participation in Society - contains a range of commitments and priority actions that the Department of Children, Disability and Equality is leading on, including the creation of more accessible services and environments, such as cultural and sporting events, as well as actions that will increase the full participation of disabled people across social, cultural and political life.
Under Pillar Three, local authorities have committed to improving their services and creating accessible environments where disabled people can live independently and participate fully in all aspects of community life. A significant priority action that Local Authorities have committed to is the development of a plan to conduct walkability audits of towns and cities with a population greater than 5,000. This action will provide information about accessible route maps and also lay the groundwork for progressively addressing inaccessible road crossings and footpaths across towns and cities.
Under the Disability Act 2005, measures to be taken to facilitate access by disabled people to services provided by local authorities, including issues pertaining to funding for such measures, are principally a matter for local authorities and under the broader remit of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
Under the Strategy, expanding accessible transport options for disabled people is also a core commitment and is essential for furthering the accessibility of public spaces. The Department of Transport is leading on the delivery of Pillar Five – Transport and Mobility - which commits to increased funding for the Public Transport Accessibility Retrofit Programme, in line with the National Development Plan and the expansion of public transport options nationwide.
Acknowledging the need to improve accessibility across all our public services, one of the most important capacity strengthening initiatives identified by the Strategy is the delivery of more coordinated action on accessibility across government, with greater awareness of good practice and Universal Design.
Taken collectively, these commitments and priority actions promise to deliver improved and enhanced accessibility of public infrastructure and the built environment, including public facilities and services. Working with colleagues across government, I look forward to driving the delivery of these changes.
2847. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports available to an individual living with a disability (details supplied); if she will provide guidance on the pathway to access support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56467/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2849. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE early years practitioner posts filled at Springfield children's disability network team as of 17 July 2026, in tabular form. [56498/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to the service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2850. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE clinical nurse specialists posts filled at Longford Children's Disability Network Team as of 17 July 2026, in tabular form. [56499/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to the service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2852. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the funding available to assist childcare providers with the costs of outdoor equipment, and indoor furniture such as Cots; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56545/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) is a programme of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities or additional needs can access the Early Childhood Care and Education or ECCE programme. AIM provides a suite of universal and targeted supports across 7 levels. Under level 5, AIM can provide specialised equipment, appliances or capital grants towards minor building alterations to ensure a child’s meaningful participation in preschool. This could include a hoist, hearing aid or wheelchair ramp to name a few examples. Training in the use of equipment will be given to providers free of charge.
Bia Blasta (Delicious Food),the Preschool Nutrition Programme, is a key funding programme under the Equal Start model. It supports the provision of a light nutritious meal to preschool children in Equal Start services and services with the highest concentrations of preschool children experiencing disadvantage. To date over 450 early learning and care services have opted in to the programme. A limited equipment grant is available for every Bia Blasta service with up to €1,000 available from a list of eligible items related to food preparation including for example, a fridge, a cooker, a dishwasher.
2853. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE play leader posts that are filled at each children's disability network team within CHO3 as of 15 July 2026, in tabular form. [56584/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this question refers to the service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
2854. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children in County Galway that as of July 2026 or the latest data available were awaiting a first assessment of need from the HSE under the Disability Act 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56590/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe delivery of an effective, efficient Assessment of Need system is a priority for the Government.
Children do not require an Assessment of Need report to access health services, including Primary Care, Children’s Disability Network Teams or Mental Health Services, or education supports.
However, demand for Assessments of Need has increased significantly in recent years, reflecting both the increase in population and the number of families exploring all options to access services for their child. From 2024 to 2025 applications increased from 10,690 to 13,186 with 7,100 applications already received in the first 6 months of this year. This demand is outpacing the capacity of the system to respond, resulting in over 23,000 applications overdue for completion at the end of June 2026.
There has been intensive work by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality and the HSE to address delays in the provision of Assessments of Need. This is evident in the continued improvement in the number of completed Assessment of Need reports with 5,939 reports completed nationally in 2025. This is a 43% increase compared to the number completed in 2024. The HSE reports that 3,043 Assessment of Need reports were completed in the first six months of 2026. This improvement is welcome and must continue.
It is unclear from the question what exactly is intended by ‘a first assessment’ under the Disability Act 2005. However, the HSE defines Stage 2 of the Assessment of Need process as commencing when the HSE Assessment Officer requests a professional assessment, and HSE data is provided on the number of applications overdue to commence Stage 2 of the AON process.
While the HSE does not provide Assessment of Need data by county, data is provided by Regional Health Area and Local Health Office (LHO) area. The most recent HSE is for Q2 2026 and shows that 268 applications were overdue to commence Stage 2 of the AON process in Galway as of 30th June 2026.
In December 2025 Government announced a series of improvements to the Assessment of Need process which will make it more effective and efficient for children and families. Over time, this should lead to a reduction in the waiting time to receive an assessment. This includes legislative reform and operational improvements to support the efficiency and effectiveness of the Assessment of Need process.
The proposed legislative changes will not remove any rights for parents to apply for an Assessment of Need for their child. They also will not alter the statutory six-month timeline set out in the Disability Act.
The General Scheme of the Disability (Amendment) Bill has been published on the Department’s website. An https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/2fc0c49e/20260324-FAQ-Version-1.1-CLEARED.pdf has also been published, providing information on Assessment of Need and the proposed changes for parents and any other interested stakeholders.
It is important to recognise that legislation is only a part of the response. The Department is working with the HSE to identify further opportunities to enhance processes, improve training, and increase administrative supports for HSE Assessment Officers who are responsible for the production of assessment reports. This includes the establishment of working groups to address learning and development needs and to develop statutory guidelines.
The HSE is also implementing actions to address the wider issue of access to services and supports for children with disabilities including:
• Introduction of a Single Point of Access system by the HSE in 2026 which should make it easier for families to be referred to the right service, whether that is primary care, CDNT or mental health services. It aims to streamline referrals and reduce duplication, so children do not end up on multiple waiting lists.
• Implementation by the HSE of the Autism Assessment and Intervention Pathways Protocol, announced in May 2026, which will provide a standardised assessment process across primary care, mental health and disability services. It will be the preferred assessment route for autism. A dedicated https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/dc3ff710/Autism_Protocol_FAQ_May_2026.pdf for the Protocol is also available on the Department’s website.
• The creation of eleven new HSE teams, initially, to support assessment processes, including AON, providing clinical guidance and administrative supports.
It is intended that these improvements to the AON process will result in a noticeable reduction in waiting times for children and their families across the country.
2855. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality his views on whether the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 will appear on the autumn legislative programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56645/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is my intention that the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill will be included in the autumn legislative programme.
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Equality undertook pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme and issued its report in October 2025. A drafter has been appointed and officials in my Department are considering the recommendations of this report as part of ongoing work.
2856. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide a breakdown of the current funding streams for childcare; the additional funding provided in Budget 2026 and expected funding required in 2027 to maintain existing levels of service, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56697/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis Department operates a range of Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) funding schemes. These funding schemes, including ECCE, NCS, AIM and Core Funding, are administered by Pobal on behalf of the Department. In Budget 2026 the Department secured an additional €149 million in funding for Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC), bringing the total investment in the sector to €1,524m in 2026. This will allow this Department to bring forward a substantial and comprehensive package of developments to achieve significant progress on its policy priorities of affordable, high quality, inclusive and sustainable ELC and SAC.
The Budget allocation in the sector in Ireland increased by 10.8% with €1.37 billion allocated for 2025 and €1.524 billion allocated for 2026 as set out below:
|
|
2025 |
2026 |
|
|
€m |
€m |
|
NCS & CCS Savers |
534 |
596 |
|
Core Funding |
353 |
420 |
|
Equal Start |
17 |
22 |
|
ECCE |
269 |
259 |
|
AIM |
81 |
84 |
|
|
|
|
|
Quality & Admin Supports[[1]] |
121 |
143 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
1,375 |
1,524 |
It should be noted that expenditure on particular programmes, such as ECCE, can vary from year to year due to demographic factors. Additional funding of €11m (2025) and €11m (2026) was available in respect of International Protection applicants and people coming from Ukraine.
Budget 2027 is a matter impinging on collective Government responsibility and as such the Department cannot provide a response at this time.
[[1]] The Quality & Admin Supports includes the capital allocations of €30m for 2025 and of €44m for 2026.
2857. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the additional funding required to reduce the costs of childcare for parents to respectively €50 per week or €200 per month; the additional allocations required, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56698/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is not possible at this time to provide an accurate estimate of the additional funding required to reduce the costs of childcare for parents to respectively €50 per week or €200 per month with the information currently available. To model a change such as this accurately would require individualised fee data on out-of-pocket costs for parents, which is not currently available. In addition, to estimate the additional funding required, it would be necessary to consider the behavioural shift that would likely occur as a result of a significant subsidy increase, including increases in labour market participation, changes in usage of childcare, and use of formal childcare for the first time.
The National Childcare Scheme provides financial support to help families with their early learning and childcare costs. There are two types of subsidies available for children aged between 24 weeks and 15 years of age:
- A universal subsidy which is not means tested and provides €2.14 per hour for a maximum of 45 hours per week;
- An income-assessed subsidy which is means tested and is calculated based on a family’s individual circumstances. Rates will vary depending on the level of family income, the child’s age and educational stage, and the number of children in a family.
Each year Pobal compiles data from Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School Age Childcare (SAC) providers as part of the Early Years Sector Profile. This provides the Department with data on the average weekly fee per child before subsidies. According to the most recently published fee data for the 2024/25 programme year, the median weekly fee is €200 for full day early learning and childcare. However, this average fee figure does not accurately capture the variation across the ELC and SAC sector. These fees vary significantly based on the location of the service, usage patterns (i.e. sessional, part-time, full time) and age of the child.
The Programme for Government has committed to establishing a cap on costs at €200 per child per month to further build on significant progress in affordability that has already been made through a number of existing Schemes.
The fee-freeze and maximum fee-caps required for Core Funding have been key to the progress in recent years in making ELC and SAC services more affordable. 2026 actions on affordability will include further reduction in some of the highest fees paid by parents by lowering the maximum fees that Core Funding Partner Services can charge. In addition, from autumn 2026 we will reduce out of pocket costs for lower-income families through the National Childcare Scheme.
Under the new maximum fee caps, the highest possible upfront cost for a typical full day place of 45 hours per week will drop from around €198 per week to €183.70 per week with universal subsidies under the National Childcare Scheme. Higher subsidies are available for many parents, depending on their level of income and the age and number of children in their family.
Shaping the Future, the Early Years Action Plan, Phase 1 Report sets out the next steps for building an affordable, high-quality, accessible early learning and childcare system, informed by stakeholder consultation. A central objective of Shaping the Future is to reduce parental fees to an upper limit of €200 per month over the lifetime of the Government. Results of an ongoing consultation process and additional analysis of available data will inform Phase 2. Phase 2 (which will be published later this year) will set out actions to be undertaken from 2027 through to the end of 2029.
2858. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the additional funding required to increase funding for the ECCE scheme by 10%; the proposed new funding levels; when funding for ECCE was last increased, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56699/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme scheme is a universal scheme which provides 2 years of free preschool to children in the eligible age range of 2 years and 8 months to 5 years and 6 months. The Department funds private early learning and care service providers to deliver the ECCE programme at a standard capitation rate of €69 per week per child attending the ECCE programme.
In calculating the full year cost of increasing funding by the programme by 10%, officials in the Department used the total budget allocation for the ECCE programme for 2026 which is €259 million. Using this allocation the estimated full year cost of increasing funding by 10% would be €25.9 million.
The Deputy requested information on when there was last an increase to funding for the ECCE Programme. Funding for the ECCE programme was last increased in the 2025 Budget compared to the 2024 Budget. This was an increase of €3,977,282. As requested, the below table details this increase.
|
Programme |
2024 |
2025 |
Increase |
|
ECCE |
€265,232,847 |
€269,210,129 |
€3,977,282 |
The Deputy may also be referring to the capitation rate paid per child per week. The history of ECCE and related funding is set out below.
In 2010, when the ECCE Programme was first introduced, the standard capitation was €64.50 and the higher capitation rate (for services with graduate room leaders) was €75 and the adult child ratio was 1:10. This equated to a maximum weekly income to providers of €645 (with standard capitation) and €750 (with higher capitation) for every 10 children to one adult.
In 2012, as part of austerity measures, the standard capitation was reduced to €62.50 and the higher capitation rate was reduced to €73. To offset this, the adult child ratio increased from 1:10 to 1:11. This equated to a maximum weekly income to providers of €687.50 (with standard capitation) and €803 (with higher capitation) for every 11 children to one adult.
In 2016, ECCE capitation was restored to €64.50 (standard capitation) and €75 (higher capitation) though the increased ratio remained in place. This equated to a maximum weekly income to providers of €709.50 (with standard capitation) and €825 (with higher capitation) for every 11 children to one adult.
In 2017, a non-contact time payment – later known as Programme Support Payment (PSP) – was introduced. This provided additional funding to ECCE providers equivalent to 7 additional days at standard capitation rates (equivalent to an additional €26.14 per week per 11 children or €2.38 per week per child). Funding for the ECCE Programme and PSP combined equated to a maximum weekly income to providers of €735.64 (where standard capitation applied) and €851.14 (where higher capitation applied) for every 11 children to one adult.
In 2018, ECCE capitation was increase by 7% to €69.00 (standard capitation) and €80.25 (higher capitation). Funding for the ECCE Programme and PSP (equivalent to 7 additional days at standard capitation rates equivalent to an additional €27.96 per week per 11 children or €2.54 per week per child) combined equated to a maximum weekly income to providers of €786.96 (where standard capitation applied) and €910.71 (where higher capitation applied) for every 11 children to one adult.
In 2021, the PSP was increased an equivalent of 8 additional days at standard capitation rates (equivalent to an additional €31.96 per week per 11 children or €2.91 per child per week). Funding for the ECCE Programme and PSP combined equated combined equated to a maximum weekly income to providers of €790.96 (where standard capitation applied) and €914.71 (where higher capitation applied) for every 11 children to one adult.
When Core Funding services was introduced in 2022, services previously in receipt of ECCE standard capitation (of €69 per week per child) received an addition €9.75 per child per week through Core Funding – an increase of 9.5%.
For the current programme year, with ECCE and Core Funding combined, services currently receive a minimum of €80.40 per child per week. This will rise to a minimum of €81.75 per child per week from September, owing to increases in the Core Funding allocation.
This is before the application of graduate premium and the ring-fenced funding for improving staff pay and conditions.
In addition, there are targeted supports for small and sessional services through Core Funding, including the flat rate of €5,000 for services registered with Tusla as sessional only and the minimum base rate allocation, which is €14,400.
2859. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated cost of increasing foster care allowance rates by €15 or €25, or alternatively index linking it to inflation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56700/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFoster carers play a vital and valued role in the care of the most vulnerable children in our society. Foster care is the preferred option for children who cannot live with their family of origin, and foster carers provide a safe, secure and stable home environment for these vulnerable children and young people.
This Department has overseen record investment in foster carers, including a 21% increase to the foster care allowance over the past two years, resulting in the current weekly allowance for children in foster care of €400 per week for children aged under 12, and €425 per week for those over 12.
Additionally, in 2025 a bonus payment at the start of each initial foster care placement was introduced. This payment aims to alleviate the substantial out-of-pocket expenses that can be incurred by foster carers during the initial period after a child is placed in their care.
A revised Mileage Payment Scheme for foster carers also came into effect in April 2025. This broadens the categories of journeys which may be considered eligible for payment under the Foster Care Travel Payments Scheme. Additionally, the cumulative weekly travel distance to qualify for these payments has been reduced from 300km to 250km.
The Programme for Government 2025 introduced a number of commitments relating to foster care. This included commitments to examine and develop a pension solution for foster carers, in recognition of the enormous contribution they make to vulnerable children in our society.
Additionally, work is underway within the Department on the development of a National Policy Framework for Alternative Care, which will deliver on a Programme for Government commitment to develop a national plan on alternative care. Officials of the Department are developing this Framework on the basis of evidence and robust consultation with stakeholders, care experienced individuals, and the public. The consultation process has included a number of constructive engagements with foster carers and their representative bodies.
Department officials and I will continue to listen carefully to what foster carers and their representative organisations have to say. I will continue to work closely Government colleagues regarding the progression of Programme for Government commitments to deliver for foster carers.
The table below sets out the full year cost for the two proposed increases, given the number of children in foster care placements at the end of Q1 2026.
|
Increase per child per week |
Number of children in foster care (total) |
Additional cost per week |
Additional cost per year |
|
€15 |
5,078 |
€76,170 |
€3,960,840 |
|
€25 |
5,078 |
€126,950 |
€6,601,400 |
2860. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the estimated cost of increasing the aftercare allowance to the same rate as foster care allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56701/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraYoung people who have had a care history with Tusla are entitled to an aftercare service based on their eligibility and assessed needs. This assessment considers a number of factors including the young person’s educational and accommodation needs.
Upon reaching the age of 18, a young person is deemed to have left State care. All eligible care leavers are supported through aftercare services provided by Tusla. Care leavers, depending on need, may be allocated an aftercare worker. All care leavers, without exception or age limit, can attend drop-in services organised by the Tusla aftercare service.
The Child Care Act 1991, as amended, sets out that where Tusla is providing assistance to a person in accordance with an aftercare plan by arranging for the completion of education and by contributing to maintenance while completing education, and that person attains the age of 21 years, Tusla may continue to provide that assistance until the completion of the course of education or the end of the academic year during which the person attains the age of 23, whichever is the earlier.
Tusla provides financial support to eligible care leavers who are engaged in a qualifying educational course or training programme. The aftercare allowance amounts to €300 per week and is dependent on the eligible young adult attending an accredited education course, third level course or training programme as outlined in the young adult’s Aftercare Plan. The allowance is provided to cover a young adult's day to day costs, including accommodation as they progress in their chosen accredited course or training program.
The range of supports available to foster carers, and indeed those available to young people in aftercare, are currently being considered as part of the ongoing development of the Alternative Care Policy Framework. This is being done in consultation with a range of stakeholders involved in the alternative care space, including children and foster carers. The Department will continue to engage with and support Tusla in improving aftercare services for care leavers.
The below table details the full year cost for increasing the aftercare allowance to match the foster care allowance, given the number of young people in receipt of the aftercare allowance at the end of Q1 2026.
|
|
Current |
Proposed (equal to foster care allowance) |
Increase |
|
Weekly allowance per young person |
€300 |
€425 |
€125 |
|
Number of recipients |
1,936 |
1,936 |
- |
|
Total cost (weekly) |
€580,800 |
€822,800 |
€242,000 |
|
Total cost (yearly) |
€30,201,600 |
€42,785,600 |
€12,584,000 |
