Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Family resource centres provide invaluable services in communities across the country. They are a place that people can go to for assistance, support and information on everything from State services and training opportunities to counselling. They are a one-stop-shop for many vulnerable individuals and groups, including lone parent families, older people, people experiencing poverty and addiction and many others.

Given that we know one of the primary indicators of poverty in Ireland is lone parent families, the type of practical supports and intervention this centres offer makes an enormous difference to many families. All of these people can be guaranteed to be treated with respect and dignity. Each centre is staffed by professional social and support workers and led by local volunteers who devote considerable time to improving and ensuring the success. They are also interconnected with other services and groups, helping to link different people. For example, in Dunmanway, meals on wheels and the community garden are based in the centre. In Cork South-West, we are lucky to be served by family resource centres in Castletownbere, Adrigole, Dunmanway, Skibbereen and Bandon. They are an essential support facility embedded into those communities.

However, a major issue they face is security of funding. They receive funding from Tusla, the HSE and other State bodies. However, it is often insufficient, dispersed and is not multiannual. This does not allow them to work to their full potential. I have worked with a few different centres to try to help them navigate the process, but it is byznatine. These issues particularly affect centres in Skibbereen and Bandon which are in search of permanent locations. The Skibbereen centre has had to move several times in the space of a year, from one rented space to another, which is highly disruptive to the service and confusing for people using it. In addition, it is now operating on a year-to-year lease, adding even more uncertainty. It has stated very clearly that the next time it moves needs to be the last time. It desperately needs a permanent location to operate out of. This would enable it to solidify its position, develop its services and free up time currently spent worrying about and seeking space.

The Bandon Family Resource Centre is similarly in need of a new location. The nature of its work demands that the building has spaces for confidential meetings and can allow easy access. I have worked with it on the possibility of finding a HSE or council-owned building to use. However, these centres require proper capital funding to assist them. It should not be up to local volunteers to find spaces or local Deputies to act as some kind of intermediary with State bodies. The centres, like all others, provide absolutely essential services and need to be recognised.

Like many of these organisations, they end up saving the State money through early interventions and on the ground supports. These vital links prevent issues escalating. They need to be recognised in funding terms. First, this means funding levels that reflect their work and allow them to operate to their full capacity. The Department and Tusla need to work together with the Minister for Health and the HSE to establish a system of funding that will give each centre greater assurance and confidence. Every euro invested in them will pay back manifold, as well as the invaluable service they provide in these areas.

Second, and urgently, the Bandon and Skibbereen centres need capital funding for permanent locations. It is currently unclear how they will operate in the long term. There are no natural funding streams for them to apply for. Some resource centres are based in HSE buildings, while others are not. How does a centre go about securing permanent accommodation if there is no clear process to follow? Can the Minister of State please provide some guidance to help address the issue?

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