There have been more than 50 confirmed cases of child protection and welfare concerns against foster carers in the past two years, with almost half occurring in the west of the country.

The €40,000 disparity between the cost of placing a child in care through a private foster care agency as opposed to foster carers registered directly with Tusla is to be examined by an Oireachtas committee.

The Irish Foster Care Association has demanded immediate action to have all foster carers properly vetted.

FOSTER carers are being forced into impossible positions whereby they must supervise access visits with the family of the young person for whom they are caring.

A LACK of weekend support for foster parents means they often end up having to supervise access visits with the children’s biological parents.

Couples were today urged to consider fostering children who cannot live with their own families.

THE Irish Foster Care Association has expressed concern about delays by the Adoption Board in finalising the adoption process involved in the landmark Baby Ann ruling by the Supreme Court this week.

THE “ignorance” of the State forestry service Coillte has left contractors on the brink of collapse, a report has claimed. Since the forestry industry switched over from chainsaws to harvesting machines costing €250,000 or more, contractors have invested heavily with the aid of EU grants.