Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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1111. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps she has taken to ensure that grant-aided organisations are spending their moneys appropriately in view of the revelations regarding a charity (details supplied) in 2016; if her attention has been drawn to concerns relating to organisations funded by her Department; if so, the action she has taken; if her Department has issued new procedures regarding the use of credit cards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46088/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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My Department provides funding directly to a wide range of organisations, ranging from statutory agencies under the aegis of my Department to community, voluntary and other organisations. All are engaged in the provision of specific services to children and young people. In discharging funds, my Department operates within the overall framework of Circular 13/2014 - Management of and Accountability for Grants from Exchequer Fund. This Circular outlines the public financial management principles, procedures and additional reporting requirements to be followed in the management of grant funding provided from public money. The overall principle is that there should be transparency and accountability in the management of public money, in line with economy, efficiency and effectiveness.

The Circular sets out detailed requirements, both for the grantor and for the grantee of any public funds. The operation of the Circular recognises that a differentiated approach needs to be adopted depending on the level and type of grant payment to ensure proper administration of the funding. All organisations, regardless of size of funding, who receive grants either directly or indirectly from my Department, are informed of their responsibilities under the Circular and of the specific financial reporting and performance reporting expected of them in respect of the funding they receive. For example, the very detailed financial and performance reporting required of statutory agencies reporting directly to my Department such as Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, are very different to those applied to a small community organisation receiving a once-off minor grant.

The Circular also provides a useful Statement of Principle for Grantees which sets out 4 clear principles applying to bodies in receipt of grant funding either directly or indirectly from Exchequer funds. The guiding principles are

1. Clarity - e,g, understand the purpose and conditions attaching to the funding and the outputs required;

2. Governance - e.g. ensuring appropriate governance arrangements are in place with particular reference to the control and safeguarding of funds from misuse, misappropriation and fraud;

3. Value for Money - e.g. be in a position to provide evidence on the effective use of the funding and avoiding waste and extravagance; and

4. Fairness - e.g. managing public funds with the highest degree of honesty and integrity.