Ireland's Department of Children is allegedly "hiding billions in immigration spending through creative accounting," according to one researcher.
Election candidate and business owner Nick Delehanty told financier and author Eddie Hobbs how an Irish Government department transformed from a $1B budget focused on children's welfare to a $10B budget managing immigration and asylum services.
"The Department of Children is a very interesting investigative piece," Mr Delehanty said.
"It was set up in Ireland in 2011 and in 2020 at the start of this Government, they introduced an umbrella term, it was now transformed from the Department of Children to the Department of Children, Disability, Integration, Equality and Youth.
"A mouthful. Ok so what are all these other things - what do they mean?"
Mr Hobbs asked if Mr Delehanty if he had 'followed the money'.
"So since the start of this Government, the funding for this Department has grown from about a billion to in and around 8- 10 billion," said Mr Delehanty.
"Probably 10 billion when you delve into the accounting trickery that's been going on. The majority of that is going to integration and asylum.
"We are spending more money on equality and immigration....and how is all this being funded? It's coming through that Department.
"Another really interesting thing happened in 2023 there was a budget of 2.3 billion transferred from the Department of Health over to the Department of Children.
"That was for disability services but it has been diluted and now covers racism, Roma traveller initiatives, integration and immigration- and that's for disability.
"I would love them to report on exactly where all this money is going. On top of all that, the Government has been running two accounts in its budget for the last few years.
"It's had its core funding and non-core funding, and non-core is emergency fund, basically for IPAS centres.
"They got in trouble from the EU, from a budget directive that they can't do that. You can't have a temporary fund running alongside because it's not accounted the same.
"This year, because they knew they were getting trouble, they flipped in the temporary pot into the main pot, but they didn't count it in their percentage increases for the year.
"They basically hid an extra spending of4.5 billion."
In October, Minister O'Gorman said the increase in funding reflects the level of demand required to provide assistance to children, young people and vulnerable people.
"This significant level of funding recognises the challenges facing the sector including the increased cost of service provision, pay cost pressures and service provider sustainability," he said.
"It will mean that 2025 will see some further expansion, including in relation to Children’s Services, Day Services, Residential Services, Personal Assistance Hours.
This expansion will further assist people to continue living independently in their own homes.
"This allocation will support the roll out of the Roadmap for Improvement for Disability Services.
Alongside these areas, €2 billion has been set aside to support those who have fled here seeking our protection – International Protection applicants and people coming from Ukraine.
"Across the department, we are entrusted with responsibility for some of the most vulnerable people in our country – children, children in care, refugees, survivors, people with disabilities, people who may be facing disadvantage and discrimination."
Comments