Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 19 October 2017

Public Accounts Committee

Tusla - Financial Statements 2016

9:00 am

Mr. Fred McBride:

We have been putting together a new contract or service level agreement for these agencies that we think is more fit for purpose. It is not that there was nothing in place before that but a new contract has just been completed that we think covers all the compliance matters that need to be covered. Some of this comes down to capacity on our side and other aspects come down to an attitude and culture, perhaps, among providers, as they do not necessarily want to be as accountable to us as we would like them to be. Perhaps they had a history of being much more independent in what they do with their grants and the conversations we have been having with them recently are to the effect that just as the committee argues, this is public money and we need to be sure of value for money and service deliverables and outcomes for children. A bit of an attitude and culture shift is required in that regard with our relationship to the providers, some of whom have been able, dare I say, to do as they pleased in the past.

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