122 entries for Finance
BackFr Giuseppe’s central argument was that the basic capitation grants were so low that most if not all of the Schools were burdened with heavy debts and loans. Under the system, the local authorities paid a sum of 4/6 or 5/- per week and the Treasury paid 7/6 per week. This sum, he argued, was inadequate: ‘There remain rents, rates, and taxes, insurance, clerical, managerial, literary and trade expenses, repairs, interest on money borrowed, expenses of after-care etc., all to be met out of grants amounting to 12s or 12s6d per week per child’. The Religious had to meet the deficit. Also, children under six years were not paid for by the Treasury.
Again, the Cussen Report agreed with Fr Giuseppe to a large extent with these arguments on finance. It stated: 39After carefully reviewing all the relevant circumstances we are of opinion that the representations of the School Managers as to the inadequacy of the existing grants would be reasonably met, if, in addition to being relieved of the cost of literary teaching, the present State payments were supplemented by a grant of equal amount from the local authorities, such payments being subject to periodic review so as to bring them into line with any appreciable variations in the cost of living figure, or with any material alterations in the numbers of children committed. 40Grants at a rate somewhat lower than that for other children should be paid in respect of children committed under the age of 6 years. 41Grants should be paid at the full rate in respect of children committed at the instance of parents or guardians as incapable of control.52
Fr Stefano’s next project was to rebuild Ferryhouse itself. One of the principal recommendations of the Kennedy Committee was for children to be cared for in smaller group homes rather that the large dormitory-based, institutional buildings. A scheme of capital funding for the provision of group homes was introduced by the Department of Education with the approval of the Department of Finance. The scheme provided for 90% grant aid towards building costs and service installations.
The Department of Education, however, had a different view in relation to the group homes scheme being specifically introduced into Ferryhouse. In 1974, the Government established a Task Force on Child Care Services, which reported in 1980. The main purpose of the Task Force was to monitor the implementation of the recommendations of the Kennedy Report. The Task Force had difficulty with the Department of Education’s proposal to reconstruct Ferryhouse in order to cater for 100 boys. The Task Force saw these proposals as being contrary to the future childcare system, as set out by the Kennedy Report. Furthermore, the Task Force argued that, once the full range of services they had recommended were fully operational, there would no longer be a need for a large centre like Ferryhouse. Their interim report led to further discussions and, in December 1975, the design team was asked to carry out a comparative cost study of a school for 60 rather than 100 pupils. By early 1976, it was proposed that a school for 80 pupils was the most economical number, with provision for 10 in a pre-leavers unit, and sanction was sought for such a school from the Department of Finance.
The lay staff now employed in Ferryhouse had received proper training. This was a direct result of the Kennedy Report, which had recommended that priority be given to proper training of staff in residential institutions. The Department of Education state that their response to this recommendation was immediate. A full-time residential course in childcare at the School of Social Education, Kilkenny was established in 1971 with funding from the Department of Education. All the industrial schools and reformatories were given funding to send their staff on the course. The Department of Education was also involved in the organisation of in-service training courses at numerous colleges nationwide. By 1974, approximately 75% of staff working in residential homes had received training in childcare.
This ultimatum in relation to budget funding for their School was in line with the thinking of numerous other groups and individuals. The Kennedy Report recommended that the system of payment of grants on a capitation basis should be discontinued, and replaced by an annual grant based on a budget of estimated costs submitted by each school sufficient to cover all costs. The grant was to be paid direct to the schools by the State. The criticism of the capitation system was that it encouraged institutions to detain children rather than to release them to their families.
Fr O’Reilly spoke about the problems caused by the capitation system: You needed to have a certain number of children in the School in order to make it financially viable, which is not a good way to look at it, but that was the economic reality at that time and therefore at times they were complaining about not having enough children in the school and they wanted more children to be able to have a greater income to spread across ... The system of its nature sought to, or it forced Managers into, trying to have a greater rather than a lesser number of children.
By 1984, a budget system of funding had been introduced into all the schools.
From 1st April 1952, the capitation grant for industrial and reformatory schools, which were also recognised as a place of detention for remand juveniles, was almost doubled from a grant of 3s 6d per day per child to one of 7s 0d for those children detained there on remand. <br><table><colgroup><col></col><col></col></colgroup><thead><tr><th><strong>Year </strong></th>
 <th><strong>Number of children under detention</strong></th>
 </tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1937</td>
 <td>206</td>
 </tr><tr><td>1938</td>
 <td>199</td>
 </tr><tr><td>1939</td>
 <td>218</td>
 </tr><tr><td>1940</td>
 <td>219</td>
 </tr><tr><td>1941</td>
 <td>220</td>
 </tr><tr><td>1942</td>
 <td>219</td>
 </tr><tr><td>1943</td>
 <td>224</td>
 </tr><tr><td>1944</td>
 <td>218</td>
 </tr><tr><td>1945</td>
 <td>123</td>
 </tr><tr><td>1946</td>
 <td>224</td>
 </tr><tr><td>1947</td>
 <td>230</td>
 </tr><tr><td>1948</td>
 <td>236</td>
 </tr><tr><td>1949</td>
 <td>226</td>
 </tr><tr><td>1950</td>
 <td>209</td>
 </tr><tr><td>1951</td>
 <td>179</td>
 </tr><tr><td>1952</td>
 <td>164</td>
 </tr><tr><td>1953</td>
 <td>148</td>
 </tr><tr><td>1954</td>
 <td>152</td>
 </tr><tr><td>1955</td>
 <td>136</td>
 </tr><tr><td>1956</td>
 <td>70</td>
 </tr><tr><td>1957</td>
 <td>125</td>
 </tr><tr><td>1958</td>
 <td>133</td>
 </tr></tbody></table>
In the material discovered to the Investigation Committee are documents entitled ‘Regular Visitation’ in the houses of St Joseph’s Province. The impression is given that an annual visitation was carried out in Lota. However, the paucity of records has made it impossible to establish whether in fact such visitations occurred annually. There are very few documents relating to management of the School and the living conditions within it. What records are available focus on matters of finance, building development and the like. A fuller discussion of these Visitation Reports is given below.
The Department of Health also inspected the premises, but only in relation to direct funding of capital development projects. The Investigation Committee asked the Department of Health about their inspection regime for institutions for persons with intellectual disabilities between the period 1939 and 1990, and they replied: From enquiries made both within the Department and the H.S.E2 (S.H.B3. area as Lota is based there) this division is not aware of any inspections having being carried out by the Department or then Health Board staff on institutions for persons with intellectual difficulties between the period 1939 and 1990.
The second preoccupation was the School finances. The Visitor in 1961 reviewed the financial situation of the School and found it in a healthy state and contributing its quota to the Province. At the conclusion of his Visitation, the Visitor wrote: 1.As religious, we must give to God at least what we vowed – the generous soul seeks ways and means of giving more. Be generous with God. 2.The morning rising needs attention – it is the first sacrifice of the day, Generosity towards God. 3.It is unbecoming and irreverent for Brothers to constantly come late to H. Mass. 4.Pray daily for one another, the works of your house, the Province, the Congregation – especially for vocations.
According to Sr Alida, when Sr Bianca took over ‘she was a very powerful personality, controlling person. She went to her major Superior in Carysfort and said she would take the running of the school ... provided she got the handling of the finance’.
In June 1944, there was another outbreak of ringworm in the School. Sr Bianca informed the Department that several children had contracted ringworm, and she sought an increase in the maintenance allowance to cover the cost of treatment. Dr McCabe’s advice was sought by the Department in relation to the treatment for ringworm, and her response was that the School was expected to cover the cost of medical treatment for children from the grant received.
The children were served with four meals a day, which were simple and adequate. They submitted that approximately 30 percent of the capitation grant was spent on food.