Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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616. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the allocation for his Department in 2016 which covers the Lansdowne Road agreement; and the demographic or other inflationary pressures. [37273/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I am pleased to be able to inform the Deputy that the total allocation to my Department under Budget 2016 amounts to €1.138 billion. This includes a provision of €1.113 billion in current expenditure and €25 million in capital expenditure. The net funding allocation for the Vote amounts to €1.112 billion when Appropriations-in-Aid receipts of €25.450 million in current funding are taken into account. This level of funding represents an increase of 11% on the 2015 Revised Estimate.

My Department’s provision for 2016 takes into account a number of adjustments relating to Haddington Road Agreement/Lansdowne Road Agreement. These include an increase of €171,931 in pay costs, a reduction of €3,310,197 in Pension Related Deduction (PRD) receipts and an additional €18,000 in respect of pension restoration costs over 2015 levels.

Demographic change and its influence on the cost of implementing programmes and services is one of many considerations taken into account in securing and finalising expenditure provisions in the context of the annual estimates cycle. In this regard the Deputy might note, for example, that the 2016 allocation includes significant extra resources to Tusla for 2016. The overall allocation amounts to €676 million, representing an increase of €38 million over the 2015 allocation. This includes €662.4 million in current expenditure and €13.6 million in capital expenditure. This will significantly strengthen the Agency’s base funding level and will facilitate it in responding to anticipated demand, as well as alleviating service pressures in child welfare and protection services, in particular pressures being faced in the areas of unallocated cases, private residential and foster care and Domestic Sexual and Gender Based Violence Strategy.