James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As I mentioned already, the financial allocation for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, in 2014, its first year of operation, was set at €609 million. This comprised €602 million in current funding and €7 million in capital funding. It is acknowledged that delivering the range of services required of the agency within this budget is challenging. Notwithstanding the significant level of resources provided, certain areas of expenditure, such as legal costs, which we covered already, have in the past proven difficult to manage within the allocated budget. It is also noted that other areas of expenditure, such as private residential and foster care, have experienced strong demand in 2014.

The agency is implementing significant reform to seek to achieve greater value for money and efficiencies in such areas and the progress in this regard is subject to ongoing monitoring and review with my Department. This is an issue about which Mr. Gordon Jeyes is extremely concerned and is working hard to address. Officials in my Department continue to monitor closely the cash position of the agency and are working with the agency to determine an evidence-based full year cash requirement. No final determination has yet been reached in this regard.

In the event that supplementary funding is required to meet the running costs of the agency in 2014, the matter will be discussed with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform as part of the ongoing budgetary discussions.

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