Mr. Seamus McCarthy:

As members are aware, Tusla was established in 2014 with a broad remit to promote and enhance the safety, well-being and outcomes for children in Ireland. The agency’s financial statements for 2022 record total income of €964 million. Vote 40 - Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth provided recurrent funding of €916.5 million and €18.5 million for capital investment. Vote 26 - Education supplied a further €44 million in respect of the school completion programme.

The agency’s expenditure in 2022 amounted to €981 million. A total of €315 million of this was on payroll in respect of around 4,700 whole time equivalent staff. Non-pay expenditure incurred of €633 million included €206 million for grants to community, voluntary and charitable organisations delivering a range of child and family services; €196 million on independent placement provision, mostly in respect of residential care; €121 million on statutory foster care and related allowances; €39 million on guardian ad litem costs; and €47 million on administration expenses.

I issued a clear audit opinion in respect of the agency’s financial statements for 2022. However, I drew attention to the disclosure by the agency in its statement on internal control of non-compliant procurement of goods and services in 2022 amounting to €5.4 million.