Concern for Garda vetting of carers

Children could still be placed with foster carers who should have been deregistered, according to a report into Tusla’s fostering services in Cork, which also highlighted other risks.

The inspection report by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) also raised concerns over a deficit in Garda vetting of foster carers in the area, with Hiqa escalating 10 cases that related to relative carers and/or adults living in the foster care home who had not had Garda vetting.

This latest inspection, a follow-up to a deeply critical inspection conducted last February, was conducted on August 30 and 31, when there were 442 foster care households in the area, including 320 general foster caters and 108 relative foster caters.