Up to 1,500 foster parents who have cared for children for more than five years are to be given extra rights by the State under legislation approved by the Cabinet.
Minister of State for Children Brian Lenihan said that under the new Childcare (Amendment) Bill, 2006, such foster parents will be given greater rights to decide about medical treatments for the child, to apply for passports for them, and to increase their guardianship rights generally.
More than 4,200 children are currently fostered in the State. Over 1,500 of these have been in care for five years or more, though not all may have been in the same placement throughout.
Mr Lenihan said: "Such foster carers will have increased autonomy in consenting to medical examinations and treatment and to the issue of passports as well as in day-to-day care issues such as giving permission for children or young people to go on a school tour or attend a concert.
"These are issues which have been causing difficulties for foster parents and relatives, and especially for children in foster care, who are made to feel different in a school situation, as the process of getting consent often involves going to court and therefore takes much longer," he said.
"We want to ensure that children in foster care have every opportunity to fit in to a stable family and school life, and this legislation is essentially about doing what is in the best interests of the child," he said.
The Bill will be initiated by Mr Lenihan in the Oireachtas this September. The Minister praised the contribution which foster carers and their families make to the improvement of the lives of children and young people in care. "This ensures the vast majority of our children in care can be raised in a family home situation."
The Irish Foster Care Association, with more than 1,000 members, has welcomed the Bill. It says there are not enough foster care families available and that there has been a steady decline in applications.
People who might be interested may contact the association at 01-2961083.