Organisations funded by Tusla under section 56 of the Child and Family Agency Act are delivering a huge range of vital services, such as youth services, in communities around the country. Cloyne Diocesan Youth Services, CDYS, is a typical example in my own community. Can the Minister outline the efforts being made to address the costs associated with auto-enrolment for these organisations?

Sentiment score: 0.18

These section 56 organisations, the likes of CDYS, are providing vital services such as social care services in the community, family support through the family resource centre and, in my own community, youth services and much more. While Tusla contracts them, as the Minister said, they are private organisations and their employees are not employed by Tusla. They are not-for-profit organisations delivering services in our community. While the aim of introducing the auto-enrolment is to fill that gap between people who do and do not have pensions, which is very welcome, it is an additional cost on these not-for-profit organisations. We need to review the situation here and I would ask that additional funding be made available to support those section 56 organisations. They are voluntary organisations that are not for profit and are delivering vital services in our communities.

Sentiment score: 0.29

I am conscious that pay increases were agreed with section 56 workers in the past year and funding increases were agreed for the organisation to support an increase in pay. Has the Minister considered introducing additional funding to the organisations as was previously done to support the organisations' additional employee costs, and will there be assistance for these important services that find themselves in difficulty due to the increased costs of employment? They are providing vital services, including youth services and a broad range of services in the community. While they are not direct employees of Tusla, Tusla does fund and contract them and it provides funding for employment. It is not totally removed from the situation and is a vital cog in it. It needs to re-examine the possibility of supporting these organisations, as they are coming under pressure from the increased cost of auto-enrolment.

Sentiment score: 0.38