Vetting delays ‘stifle’ fostering system

CHILDREN are having to remain in special care units instead of being placed with foster families because of lengthy waiting times for Garda vetting.

The head of a private fostering company described the vetting delays as “stifling the whole system” and warned that the waiting time for children to have new families is too long.

Miriam Uhlemann of Fostering First Ireland (FFI), which has been operating here for five years, said she has a “significant” backlog of complex cases on her books. Ms Uhlemann said the knock-on effect was that children are not getting the right placement they need.