A child who was removed from the home of his grandparents after four years when they were deemed ‘too old’ to look after him has been placed with other relatives who are not significantly younger.
The nine-year-old boy was removed from the family farm and is currently being cared for by a grand aunt and her husband in the south west. The couple also foster another sibling.
While they had the full support of the child’s primary school in Tipperary and the local doctor, the child’s grandparents, who are reportedly in their mid-60s, failed to qualify as foster carers, despite taking a parenting course and providing full medical reports. The distraught couple have also put forward that they do not claim any carers payments in respect of the child.
The child’s mother suffers from mental health issues and cannot look after him herself.
Independent TD Mattie McGrath has taken an interest in the case and has appealed to Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone to intervene on behalf of the child.
According to the Irish Independent, the boy was due to make his First Communion last weekend in the parish where he lived with his grandparents. Due to his care arrangement, the child made his communion in another county, much to the disappointment of his granny and grandad.
According to Tusla guidelines, children should ideally be cared for in an environment where there is no more than a 40-year age gap between the carers and the foster child, although this rule is not strictly enforced.
Tusla does not comment on individual cases.
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