Minister Foley receives government approval to publish the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2025
- Published on: 3 December 2025
- Last updated on: 3 December 2025
Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, has received cabinet approval to publish the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2025.
The Bill will revise and update the Child Care Act 1991 which governs a range of issues including taking children into care through voluntary agreements and court orders.
It is aimed at reflecting changes in child welfare and protection services in Ireland, and capturing current legislative, policy and practice developments.
The Bill will provide for greater cooperation and coordination across agencies and departments, promoting a more agile response across the State in keeping children safe from harm.
Some of the key features of the bill include:
- The introduction of a duty to cooperate between relevant bodies, such as Tusla, government departments and others. This will require organisations to cooperate proactively in performing their existing functions relevant to the development, welfare and protection of a child.
- A clear basis for the sharing of information between agencies and organisations when they are working together on child protection and child welfare matters under the new duty to cooperate.
- Foster carers can apply for enhanced parental rights after three years rather than five years, helping to create stable long-term arrangements for children in their care.
- The introduction of regular reviews of care orders for children and changes to the duration of some care orders.
- The establishment of a Child Care Implementation and Inter-Agency Committee to bring together Government Departments and State agencies who deliver services to families and children known to Tusla.
Welcoming government approval for the publication of the Bill, Minister Foley said:
“Child protection is everyone’s business. We know there are challenges in providing support and services to the most vulnerable children and families. This is why we are introducing a duty to cooperate in relation to children and families known to Tusla and establishing the Inter-Agency Committee to bring everyone around one table.
I’m very pleased to make changes for foster parents. Where they have an established and enduring relationship with a child in their care, this Bill reduces the time needed for them to apply for enhanced parental rights for that child from five years to three years. This will make it easier for them dealing with day-to-day issues, such as giving permission for children to go on school tours or attend concerts.”
Amendments to the Bill will be brought to enhance the powers and status of the National Review Panel, which conducts reviews of child deaths and serious incidents. It produces reports with recommendations to improve the quality of services provided to children and families.
Minister Foley said:
“I will be introducing a further change to the legislation to place the National Review Panel on a statutory footing, as soon as possible. The National Review Panel is respected for the independence of its work but putting it on a statutory basis will further strengthen it in this regard.”
The Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2025 will be published in the coming days and will be progressed through the Houses of the Oireachtas.
The Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2025 arose from a project to review and update the existing Child Care Act, 1991. The commitment to update the Child Care Act 1991 was first outlined in the Better Outcomes Brighter Future (BOBF) national policy framework and has since been reiterated in the new Programme for Government.
The Department has consulted widely with stakeholders through a number of events, written submissions and bilateral meetings since 2017, commissioned research on a number of themes and engaged extensively with Tusla. Further information on the review of the Child Care Act is available here: Review of the Child Care Act 1991
The Bill will introduce guiding principles designed to strengthen the focus on the best interests of the child. It will better align Ireland’s legislation with the requirements of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and give further effect to Article 42A of the Constitution on the rights of the child.