Much debate before similar motions are agreed
TWO motions, described by the cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council as similar, prompted lengthy debate recently at a meeting of Sligo County Council before both were agreed.
The motions, put forward by Cllr Marie Casserly and Cllr Declan Bree, were agreed by councillors at their recent meeting after considerable discussion which saw the wording of one of the motions changed following claims that the original version was “meaningless”.
Both motions related to concerns by members of the Early Childhood and School Aged Care services sector regarding new requirements for financial reporting to the Department of Children.
When the matter was first raised by Cllr Marie Casserly, Cllr Declan Bree described her original motion as “meaningless”.
Cllr Casserly submitted a new version of her motion, pointing out that when her original motion had been circulated by email, no one raised any issues or objections to it.
Her modified version of that motion asked that the council would write to Minister Roderic O’Gorman (Minister for Children, Equality, Disability,
Integration and Youth), asking that he would “postpone the requirement of the Chart of Accounts which will lead to a further increase in administration in their financial reporting with consideration that the providers are already submitting annual financial accounts. Can the minister direct his officials to engage with the sector on this matter.”
An amendment to that motion which Cllr Dónal Gilroy at first indicated he wished to table was withdrawn by Cllr Gilroy.
A second motion described earlier in the meeting by cathaoirleach Gerard Mullaney as similar to the one tabled by Cllr Casserly, but tabled in this instance by Cllr Declan Bree, was also agreed when it was dealt with immediately after Cllr Casserly’s modified motion had been agreed.
His motion proposed that “noting the concern expressed by a significant number of independent providers of Early Childhood and School Aged Care, both community and private in counties Sligo and Leitrim regarding new reporting requirements imposed by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, this Council calls on the
Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, to favourably consider the proposals submitted to him by the providers on the 10th of March 2024.”
Elaborating on the motion he said last month a significant number of independent providers of Early Childhood and School Aged Care services, both community and private, from Sligo and Leitrim, made a submission to Roderic O’Gorman TD, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, regarding new requirements for financial reporting to his Department.
“The providers indicated that they fully understood the requirement to account for taxpayers’ money and acknowledged that the Core Funding Contract called for detailed financial reporting.
“However, they were at a loss to understand why their accounts as currently prepared and submitted to the Revenue Commissioners was not acceptable to the Minister’s Department.
“They have genuine concerns about the proposed new requirement that accounts would have to be prepared and submitted by a Chartered
Accountant.
“They pointed out that this would add significantly to their costs, particularly for smaller providers, and there was no indication that the Department was prepared to cover the costs.
“They also pointed out that this could lead to higher charges/fees for parents and could actually lead to the closures of some of the smaller service providers,” Cllr Bree said.