Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 April 2017
810. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the average cost per child of caring for children in State care; the cost on an individualised basis to the State of the top ten cases incurring the highest expenditure per annum to provide services for the child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18061/17]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy has been requested from the Child and Family Agency and I will respond directly to the Deputy when the information is received.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 42A
I have made inquiries with Tusla, the Child and Family Agency in relation to your Parliamentary Question (18061/17) of 11 April 2017 where you queried the average cost per child of caring for children in State care; the cost on an individualised basis to the State of the top ten cases incurring the highest expenditure per annum to provide services for the child.
Tusla has advised that they are still in the process of compiling the information you requested. I will forward the information to you as soon as it becomes available.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 42A
I refer to your Parliamentary Question (18061/17) of 11 April 2017 where you queried the average cost per child of caring for children in State care; the cost on an individualised basis to the State of the top ten cases incurring the highest expenditure per annum to provide services for the child.
I can confirm that the following information has now been received from Tusla.
The most recent figures provided by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, indicate that there were 6,309 children in care at the end of February 2017, which is a decrease of 2% compared with the previous year. Of the children in care, 92% were in foster care nationally; there were 4,127 (65%) children in general foster care, 1,695 (27%) in relative care and 355 (6%) children were in a residential care placement.
The table sets out Tusla's net expenditure in 2016 as per the latest draft Annual Financial Statement. Tusla's net expenditure in 2016 was €662.522 million and the average number of children in care in 2016 was 6,353.54 resulting in an average cost per child in care of approx. €0.104 million.
|
2016 |
|
|
€m |
|
|
Tusla Net (Non Capital) Expenditure |
662.522 |
|
Average No of Children in Care |
6,353.54 |
|
Average Cost per Child in Care |
0.104 |
|
Special Care (Non Capital) Expenditure |
11.648 |
|
Average No of Children in Special Care |
11.62 |
|
Average Cost per Child in Special Care |
1.003 |
I can advise that the most costly child care cases are in Special Care. The net expenditure on Special Care Services in 2016 was €11.648 million and the average number of children in Special Care in 2016 was 11.62 resulting in an average cost per child in Special Care of approx. €1.003 million.
