Cautious welcome for increase in funding for children’s services

Barnardos and the Children’s Rights Alliance both welcomed the news that the Child and Family Agency will receive an extra €26m in its budget for next year.

The additional funding — coming amid criticism that the new agency had been seriously hamstrung since it began work last January because of inadequate resources — means Tusla will operate with a total budget of €635m in 2015.

The increase represents a 4.3% rise over the 2014 budget, while the sum includes more than €12m in capital funding — up €5.6m.