Pension Provisions
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-19
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Claire Kerrane (SF), Roscommon-Galway

I welcome that engagement between officials in the Minister's Department and the Department of Social Protection will take place. It is important that we get the State pension put in place for foster carers as quickly as possible. It is wholly unacceptable for any foster carer in this State, many of whom have provided decades of support to provide a loving and caring home to some of the most vulnerable children in the State, to be left at 66 without a State pension or relying on the means-tested State pension. That is not acceptable. It is also important to make the point that this would be a huge amount of money.
Money is always a factor because I know it will have to be within the budget or a coming budget, and I hope it will be. Many foster carers will have paid some PRSI contributions. In fact, I would imagine the vast majority will have, so this will be about topping them up to make sure they can access the contributory State pension in full, as they should be and as they are more than deserving of. Time is of the essence and this needs to be delivered as quickly and as early in this term of Government as possible.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-19/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:40+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-19