Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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4. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will address concerns over cuts in funding by the Child and Family Agency to groups that provide support services for children. [19880/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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This Government has delivered the most comprehensive reform of policy and provision for children, young people and families in the history of the State, and our commitment to continuing that work remains very strong.

Tusla has a total budget of €643 million in 2015; including €631 million in current funding, and €12 million in capital. This represents an increase of €34 million and is a 5.6% increase on funding provided to the Agency in Budget 2014.

This funding increase demonstrates that, despite the budgetary constraints, this Government remains strongly committed to delivering the critically important support and reforms needed to supporting Ireland’s children and families. This additional funding will help drive key priorities in the reform of services, and assist the Agency to deliver on its mandate from Government.

Since its establishment, Tusla has been engaged in a comprehensive and much needed programme of reform across our child welfare and protection system. In December, I notified Tusla of its funding allocation for 2015 and on foot of this, Tusla prepared its Business Plan for this year.

Like all State agencies, Tusla has reviewed the scope to make savings across various areas of expenditure and to ensure that services are developed where possible. It has identified areas where resources need to be provided and it has also identified areas where available funding can be used to better effect to support service delivery.

The key focus has been on ensuring that services are streamlined and rationalised where necessary, with any overlap in service provision and duplication of costs eliminated. I have specified to Tusla that they should do everything to defend front-line services to children. This has implications for some organisations when services do not reflect the statutory remit of Tusla at this time.

I am very supportive of the approach that Tusla is adopting in terms of the reform of services, the targeting of funding at front-line services and the work being done in developing a new approach to the commissioning of services.

I want to assure the House, that in furtherance of the Government’s policy and commitment to child and family services, Tusla will continue to work very closely with service providers in managing budgets and in the delivery of services to children and families across the country. Priority will be given to front-line services as we seek to address identified service requirements, together with a strong focus on early intervention and prevention.