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	The grandparents of a young boy, who was removed from their foster care on grounds which included their age, have failed in their bid to get the Children&#39;s Minister, Katherine Zappone, to intervene.</p>
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	The couple, from a county in the mid-west, who are in their mid-60s, are distraught at losing the nine-year-old following an assessment by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.</p>
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	They cared for the young boy for several years at the request of their daughter.</p>
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	A spokeswoman for the minister said yesterday that she did not believe it would be &quot;appropriate&quot; to intervene.</p>
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	The boy is now in the care of a grand-aunt and her husband, who are of a similar age to the grandparents. Their home is in a county in the south-west.</p>
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	Independent TD Mattie McGrath had asked Ms Zappone to look at the case after the heartbroken grandparents turned to him for help.</p>
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	Tusla defended its decision to transfer the child to other relatives, saying it was in the best interests of the child. It accepted the emotional ties with the grandparents.</p>
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	(Published by the Irish Independent on the 26/05/2016)</p>
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	<a href="http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/grandparents-hopes-in-foster-case-dashed-34747600.html">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/grandparents-hopes-in-foster-case-dashed-34747600.html</a></p>
