Question time in the state parliament

Takeover: State has “Jugendland” under control

Jugendland, which has slipped into bankruptcy, was the subject of question time in the Tyrolean state parliament

(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

The association is in the red with 2.6 million euros. The state has now integrated it at the beginning of the year and 65 children are being looked after. Salaries and wages have been paid on time.

At the beginning of the year, the state's Kinder und Jugend GmbH took over "Jugendland". Launched in 1987 with a revolutionary concept, the association for the care of children and young people slipped into bankruptcy the previous year: as a contractual partner, the state had begun to take a closer look at what was happening with the funding. . .

Eva Pawlata, the social affairs minister responsible for the area, spoke of the association's liabilities of 2.6 million euros, and 600,000 euros in funding had been reclaimed. The most important thing, however, is that the care of the 65 children and young people from difficult family backgrounds is still guaranteed. "Five residential groups are still located at the Arzl site, three in the city area. Of the former 72 staff members, 55 have been transferred to the new structure and most of the missing staff have been replaced. It can therefore be said that the children have not experienced any major disruption."

Expenditure on child and youth welfare has increased by €30 million to €91 million. More and more need help.

Neos-LA Birgit Obermüller

"Handling leaves us somewhat perplexed"
Nevertheless, there has been uncertainty, said Fritz-LA Markus Sint. "The handling of the association leaves us somewhat perplexed: if there was an improper use of benefit funds, why was there no report of the facts to the public prosecutor's office?"

There was in fact no such report because nothing of criminal relevance was identified. Although the money had benefited the children, it had also flowed into other tasks in an incomprehensible way. "The balance sheets were rudimentary and sometimes even incorrect. We tried to offset funds used inappropriately with indexation and we tried to make many compromises. I did not want children to be unsettled," emphasized LR Pawlata. "But a stable environment also means economically stable, otherwise everything could be over overnight."

As a result of the integration, Kinder- und Jugend GmbH has grown from 150 to 220 employees. The times of uncertainty for the "Jugendland" staff, most of whom were taken over, are over. Wages and salaries have been paid on time. Philipp Neuner