Irish Foster Care Association  – Budget 2024 Analysis

Foster Care in Budget 2024

1. From 1^stJanuary 2024 the rates of the Foster Care Allowance will increase by €25 per week, up to €350 per week for children under 12 and €377 per week for those over 12.
2. The Foster Care Allowance will be further increased in November 2024, up to €400 per week for children aged under 12 and €425 per week for those aged over 12.
3. Foster Carers will receive a double payment of the Foster Care Allowance at its current rate before the end of 2023.
4. Foster Carers will receive a double payment of Child Benefit for each qualifying foster child before the end of 2023.

Children & Families in Budget 2024

Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Budget 2024 saw the announcement of a further €338 million to the core spending budget of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Included in the package is a planned increase to the National Childcare Scheme hourly subsidy from €1.40 to €2.14, effective from September 2024. Also included in this budget allocation is a €10.5 million commitment designed to improve pay and conditions for childcare workers, enhance sustainability for providers and maintain current fee freezes. Also included are measures to reduce the costs of both the school and further education cohort.

• 8% increase in overall funding for early childhood education and care bringing total investment to €1.1 billion.
• 25% reduction in fees for parents under the National Childcare Scheme
• An allocation of €4.5 million for the initial implementation of the Equal Participation (DEIS type) Model of early years.
• An increase in the rate paid under the sponsorship scheme to €5.30.
• €77.95m is being allocated in Budget 2024 to current expenditure for youth services, an increase of €5 million, or 6.8%, on the 2023 budget.
• €74.45m is being provided for youth services funded under the existing funding schemes.
• €1million is being provided to establish a new Youth Employability Scheme, to provide dedicated support to young people who are not in education or work. The aim is to promote the employability of disadvantaged young people.
• €2.5 million is being provided to support the expansion of universal youth services, which are provided by volunteer led youth organisations around the country.

Tusla

• €1.1 billion in funding for the Child and Family Agency (Tusla). Increased resources for the Agency to continue to provide existing levels of service; increase capacity in residential care; improvement of staff recruitment and retention.

Department of Social Protection

Budget 2024 saw the largest Department of Social Protection budget package in the history of the state at €2.3 billion. The total Budget allocated to the Department of Social Protection for 2024 is €25.228 billion. This includes €16 million in capital expenditure.

• Weekly rates of qualified child payments (IQC) will increase by €4 in January 2024 bringing them to €54 for those aged 12 and over and €46 for under 12s.
• Child Benefit extended to 18-year-olds in full time education from September 2024.
• Working Family Payment thresholds for all family sizes to increase by €54 from January 2024.
• Parent’s Benefit to be extended from 7 weeks to 9 weeks from August 2024.
• Domiciliary Care Allowance will increase by €10 to €340 per month with effect from January 2024.
• Increases in core social welfare payments of €12 from January 2024.
• Hot School Meals to be extended to further 900 Primary Schools who responded to Expression of Interest.

Once off payments:

• A double payment of Child Benefit for families receiving this payment to be paid in December 2023.
• €300 Lump Sum payment to all households receiving the Fuel Allowance payment in November 2023.
• €100 per child once off payment for those who receive the Increase for a Qualified Child(ren) on their social welfare payment, paid in November 2023.
• Christmas Bonus and January Cost of Living Bonus to be paid to all recipients of weekly social welfare payments.
• A €400 Lump Sum in November 2023 to families receiving the Working Family Payment.

Department of Health

The total Budget allocated to the Department of Health for 2024 is €22.5 billion. There were few new measures accounted for in Health. Access to Children and Youth Mental Health services and supports is a key issue for foster carers and families.

• The overall mental health budget for 2024 is €1.295 billion.
• An additional €72.5 million has been allocated to mental health services.
• The Government has allocated between €13M – €14M for the development of new measures in mental health.
• 68 new posts for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
• €300,000 will be allocated for the development of a new mental health app to help direct young people to services.
• Development and provision of a new central referral mechanism in the HSE for services for children – sometimes referred to as a ‘No Wrong Door’ approach.
• Expansion of the Suicide Bereavement Liaison Service.
• Enhancement of the Traveller Counselling Service, which will have national coverage for the first time.

Department of Education

There are many issues of relevance and importance which straddle education and children in foster care. Overall, Education fared well in Budget 2024 comparatively to other areas, and additional funding for counselling, SNAs and SEN teachers is much needed and welcomed.

• €67 million funding for free schoolbooks and classroom resources for Junior Cycle students bringing total investment in tackling school costs to €115 million.
• Additional funding for Tusla Education Support Services (TESS) and an increased number of Educational Welfare Officers. This includes €5 million for additional Educational Welfare Officers and €2 million for services related to school retention and completion programmes.
• An extra €21 million in capitation funding to assist schools with day-to-day running costs. This will support a permanent restoration of the basic rate of capitation to €200 per student in primary schools and to €345 in post-primary schools. This is permanent recurring funding.
• €60 million in cost of living supports paid to all primary and post-primary schools in the free scheme.
• The School Transport Scheme will receive an extra €92 million in funding. This will result in additional places for children with special educational needs and a continued reduction in school transport fees.
• €82 million in funding for an extra 1,216 SNAs and 744 SEN Teachers.
• An additional €11 million for special schools catering for children with special educational needs. €20 million in funding for the Enhanced Summer Programme totalling €40 million for summer 2024.
• €5 million to continue the pilot counselling services for another year.
• An extension of the fee waiver for students sitting state exams.

Once Off Measures

• A once-off reduction of the student contribution fee by €1,000 for free fees’ students.

Our thanks to our colleagues in Deloitte, Children’s Rights Alliance and Mental Health Reform for their contribution on analysis of Budget 2024