Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

That is the Deputy's second set of questions. Her first questions pertained to the capital programme. In 2019, the capital provision of €17.19 million will be focused on completing the roll-out of the national childcare information system; the roll-out of the first phase of Tusla's ICT strategy; and commencing refurbishments of some front-line service facilities and staff accommodation at a number of locations around the country, several of which I have visited. That will be really welcome in those contexts. There is also a programme for some minor capital works. That is the answer to the first question.

On the Deputy's second question, I will address the €1.5 million allocated to the family resource centre programme first. I am working very closely with Tusla to identify the best way to increase the resources of the existing family resource centres with those moneys. I met with Tusla representatives recently to look at its preparations for that and its recommendations on how to do that. Tusla has done a couple of things in that regard. Tusla representatives have visited the existing family resource centres to gather evidence of their needs. Some of those resourcing needs arise from increases in costs just to stand still, such as rent etc. Tusla has also gathered information on the increased costs that would be incurred in developing certain aspects of the family resource centres' work, again according to the evidence of need based on its experience.

Tusla is keen to see the most effective therapeutic supports provided through the family resource centres, as am I. Those are the categories we are examining at present. Tusla will shortly report to me again with an analysis of the costs according to those categories or the resources that are required. We will look across the board, again according to the evidence of need and then will make decisions, hopefully prior to Easter, on what can be offered to the family resource centres. It will not take the form of €10,000 or €50,000 for each one. Our intervention will be based on scale and size as well as their needs. In regard to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services, we are trying to ensure that we are responding appropriately to the Istanbul Convention. One aspect of funding for Tusla has to do with services for children who witness or are impacted by domestic or sexual violence. As the Deputy identified, we are also examining the potential for increasing places or services and the resources this would require. We will analyse the needs of the regions, meet representatives of Tusla and then make decisions on how to use the €1.5 million as soon as possible.