The financial allocation for the Child and Family Agency in 2014, its first year of operation, was set at €609 million, including €7 million in capital funding. This included an additional revenue provision of €6.7 million (€12 million in a full year) to support the reform of Child Welfare and Protection Services by the Agency this year.
It is acknowledged that delivering the range of service required of the Agency, within this budget, is challenging. Notwithstanding the significant level of resources provided, certain areas of expenditure, such as legal costs, have in the past proven difficult to manage within the allocated budget. The Agency is implementing significant reform to seek to achieve greater value for money in such areas and the progress in this regard is subject to ongoing monitoring and review with my Department.
We will work closely with the Board and senior management of the Agency to ensure the provision within the significant resource provided, of high quality and responsive services to vulnerable children and families.
The Agency was formally established on a statutory basis with effect from 1st January 2014. Its Management Accounts show the following expenditure to the end of May 2014:
|
Expenditure
|
€ '000
|
|
Pay
|
92,220
|
|
Non Pay
|
-
|
|
- Foster Care and Other Allowances
|
48,515
|
|
- Grants to Outside Agencies
|
40,021
|
|
- Private Residential and Foster Care
|
33,868
|
|
- Staff Travel
|
2,988
|
|
- Legal
|
14,186
|
|
- Other Non Pay Costs
|
7,710
|
|
- Education Welfare Services
|
914
|
|
- Family Support Services
|
6,747
|
|
- School Completion Programme
|
204
|
|
Income
|
(717)
|
|
Total
|
246,656
|
The pay costs by category to the end of May 2014 are detailed as follows:
|
CFA Pay by Category
|
May YTD
|
|
Paramedical / Social Worker
|
70,059,076
|
|
Management/Administration
|
11,932,131
|
|
Support Services
|
7,353,755
|
|
Educational Welfare Officers
|
1,577,719
|
|
Nursing
|
940,099
|
|
Superannuation Pay
|
284,218
|
|
Maintenance Pay
|
72,548
|
|
Total
|
92,219,546
|
Finally, in respect of Consultants, the following table provides a breakdown of these costs:
|
Supplier
|
Project
|
Amount
|
|
Creative Solutions
|
Consultancy
|
€30,000
|
|
Communique
|
Consultancy
|
€20,000
|
|
IBM
|
Financial Project
|
€95,311
|
|
IBM
|
Payroll Project
|
€50,000
|
|
SMX
|
Financial project
|
€20,000
|
|
Northgate Arinso
|
Payroll project
|
€43,050
|
|
Mazars
|
Financial project
|
€93,215
|
|
Creative Solutions
|
Website Development
|
€60,000
|
|
TOTAL
|
|
€411,576
|
