Anne Rabbitte
Question:1135. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount her Department has spent on guardian ad litem services, broken down by county and provider. [33982/17]
View answerThursday, 13 July 2017
Questions (1135)
Written answers
Section 26 of the 1991 Child Care Act provides for the appointment of a guardian ad litem in respect of care proceedings where a child is not a party to those proceedings and where the court is satisfied that it is necessary in the best interests of the child and in the interests of justice to have a guardian ad litem appointed. Section 26 also obliges Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to pay costs (fees, travel and legal representation) incurred by a guardian ad litem in the performance of his/her functions.
In 2015, a total of €14.148m was expended on guardian ad litem arrangements i.e. €8.189m on guardian ad litem fees and €5.959m on legal representation. In 2016, a total of €15.222m was expended i.e. €8.15m on guardian ad litem fees and €7.072m on legal representation.
I have requested further information from Tusla for 2015 and 2016, by county and provider, and I will revert to the Deputy once I have been furnished with the Agency’s response.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 42A.
Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has informed me that the total amount paid to guardians ad litem in 2015 was €8,189,175 and in 2016 €6,569,115. The following is a breakdown of that amount by vendor:
|
GAL Costs |
Actuals 2016 |
Actuals 2015 |
|
BARNARDOS - BEACON |
3,422,780 |
3,822,950 |
|
THE INDEPENDENT GUARDIAN AD LITEM |
1,834,553 |
1,304,482 |
|
CEILI O'CALLAGHAN CONSULTANCY LTD |
239,482 |
251,624 |
|
CHILD AND FAMILY CONSULTANCY LTD |
237,330 |
272,096 |
|
CHILD FORENSIC SERVICES LTD |
223,241 |
162,622 |
|
JIGSAW TRAINING SOLUTIONS LTD |
209,451 |
268,305 |
|
CELBRIDGE COUNSELLING SERVICE |
193,420 |
220,740 |
|
RENEE HANLEY |
165,799 |
141,468 |
|
MAEVE DRUMMEY |
138,237 |
153,304 |
|
CHILD ADVOCACY SERVICES |
128,959 |
226,819 |
|
NATIONAL CHILDRENS WELFARE SERVICES |
114,499 |
171,574 |
|
JC GAL SERVICES LTD |
101,102 |
94,174 |
|
SOCIAL WORK CONSULTANCY IRELAND LTD |
92,462 |
114,513 |
|
PAT DONNELLY |
68,100 |
34,402 |
|
SARAH TREACY |
59,885 |
60,684 |
|
CARMEL MURPHY |
55,861 |
245,259 |
|
INDEPENDENT SOCIAL WORK SERVICE |
45,854 |
170,740 |
|
PATRICIA MCKAY LTD |
44,699 |
59,841 |
|
INDEPENDENT GUARDIAN AD LITEM SERVI |
42,637 |
181,084 |
|
CLARE OHARE |
29,542 |
34,026 |
|
CLAIRE QUINN |
27,128 |
307,465 |
|
ANTHONY JAMES MACKLIN |
25,691 |
|
|
MARY BIRD, GUARDIAN AD LITEM |
18,893 |
15,981 |
|
PATRICIA MCKAY |
12,000 |
|
|
CLAIRE OCONNOR G.A.L. LTD |
9,500 |
|
|
INDEPENDENT SOCIAL WORK |
8,752 |
40,699 |
|
TERESA MONICA SHANNON |
5,306 |
|
|
CHRISTINE JENKINS |
3,894 |
13,002 |
|
FOLEY CHILD PROTECTION SERVICES LTD |
3,705 |
|
|
JOHN P MURPHY |
3,456 |
|
|
ALPHA GUARDIAN AD-LITEM SERVICES |
111,204 |
|
|
LE CHEILE CHILDCARE SERVCES LTD |
125,181 |
|
|
RAYMOND MCEVOY |
3,956 |
|
|
MIEKE RYAN - MDR CHILD AND FAMILY |
26,368 |
|
|
TMM GUARDIAN AD LITEM LTD |
158,601 |
|
|
DAVID KENNEDY T/A |
117,415 |
|
|
MARY O'SHEA T/A MARY MOLLOY |
62,353 |
|
|
Net Accruals/Prepayments/Journals |
-993,650 |
-787,211 |
|
GAL Costs Total |
6,569,115 |
8,189,175 |
Please note the 2016 total includes accruals for refunds of VAT due from GAL vendors who had charged VAT in 2014 and 2015. The value of these refunds at end 2016 was €1,581,000.
Tusla has advised me that as these costs are all posted to one Legal Office cost centre, it has not been possible to break down the costs by county.
I trust this information is of assistance.