Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 209: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the total sum expended by the Health Service Executive in each of the years 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 in the provision of those supports, envisaged for transfer to the yet to be established child and family support agency; the directly attributable HSE management and staff costs covering these services in each of the specified years, being a part of the totals above; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1707/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I established the Task Force on the Child and Family Support Agency in September 2011 under the chairmanship of Ms Maureen Lynott. The Task Force will advise my Department in regard to the necessary transition programme to establish a Child and Family Support Agency, and will base its work on best practice in child welfare, family support and public administration; consistent with the Government's public sector reform agenda.

The Task Force has been asked to advise on the appropriate service responsibilities for the Agency during the course of its work from amongst those within the HSE that relate to children and family services, or from within the relevant operational responsibilities of my Department or its agencies. Resource allocation for the new Agency will largely be determined by the services for which it will have responsibility; in terms of both direct provision and commissioning. The Task Force will review the existing budgets, staffing and other corporate supports in respect of the services transferring. Further, the Task Force has been asked to assess and propose, within the resources available for the transferring services, a plan for resource and staffing configuration which takes full account of the overall corporate vision, indicators of need (geographically and by service) and the objectives of public sector reform and modernisation.

I am firmly committed to the transformation of Ireland's child protection and welfare services. Central to this is delivering transparent and accountable management and budgeting. The establishment for the first time of a dedicated budget sub-head within the HSE Vote for children and families is an important part of the ongoing 'change agenda', which is aimed at strengthening organisation capacity, business processes and systems, and will pave the way for the transition to the new Child and Family Support Agency in 2013. Management of these services will be led by the National Director (Mr Gordon Jeyes) who already has a very close working relationship with me and my Department. These developments are an integral part of preparations for the new stand alone Agency.

The full remit of child and family services that will transfer to the new Agency has not yet been decided. In this regard, I look forward to receiving the report of the Task Force's work, which will inform preparations for the new Agency, including the drafting of legislation. For the purposes of the information requested it is assumed that the Deputy is referring to HSE expenditure in the area of children and family services. The HSE reports, in its annual service plan, high level financial information by care group on estimated expenditure levels for the previous year. The estimated expenditure levels for the period 2008 - 2010 are as follows:-

2010 €601m (source: HSE Service Plan 2011)

2009 €575m (source: HSE Service Plan 2010)

2008 €570m (source: HSE Service Plan 2009)

An outturn in respect of 2007 is not readily available as financial information was presented in regional and not care group format at that time. The reported expenditure levels do not distinguish between pay and non-pay elements. Accordingly I have asked the HSE to examine the matter and to reply directly to the Deputy.