Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Buckley for raising this important issue and for offering me the opportunity to respond. As a former board member of the Cara Phort Family Resource Centre in my home village of Ballynacarrigy, I know first-hand the work these family resource centres undertake. As Deputy Buckley has outlined so eloquently regarding the resource centres in his own constituency, they really do invaluable work in the communities they serve.

In April 2024 the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth announced €1.5 million in additional funding for family resource centres. When I was a Government backbencher, I advocated quite forcefully for the need for additional funding for resource centres. The purpose of the allocation was to bring the core funding of the family resource centre programme members to a new base level of €160,000 in 2025 and to immediately provide additional funding for 2024 to the lowest-funded centres. The funding was intended to allow the centres to increase their staffing complements in some cases and to support the pivotal role the centres play in many communities. Some 54 centres around the country benefitted from this measure. Any future increases to core funding across the programme will be built off this new level.

The Minister, Deputy Foley, is aware the family resource national forum has expressed a desire for core funding of €220,000 to €250,000, as Deputy Buckley has highlighted today. Its rationale will be considered when planning for any future changes to core funding. Family resource centres will benefit from any further funding awarded to section 39 and section 56 bodies for pay related costs, and this will further increase the current core funding they receive. It is important to acknowledge that core funding of more than half the programme membership was already greater than €160,000 and in many cases, significantly so.

The Minister supports the vital role played by family resource centres, which provide a comprehensive range of services tailored to individual community needs at low or no cost to many clients. As part of a range of measures aimed at reducing childhood poverty, the current programme for Government commits to working to increase funding and to expand the capacity and network of family resource centres. In the context of expansion, funding of €800,000 was secured by the Department as part of budget 2025. The commissioning unit of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, will manage the selection process. Five new centres are expected to be operational by summer 2025, with core funding of €160,000 applying to each centre. Core funding is only one element of funding that family resource centres can avail of. Core funding comes from the Minister’s Department and is administered by Tusla, but many family resource centres obtain additional funding from other Departments, State agencies and private sources.

This allows them to expand the scope and reach of their services and to tailor them to the needs of their communities.

There are currently 121 family resource centres nationwide. They are usually located in disadvantaged areas and serve as vital hubs for a wide range of community activities, catering to all age groups from early childhood to senior citizens. They offer universal and targeted services, including information and support, education courses, counselling, community group development and practical assistance. They also address specific needs such as integration supports for Ukrainian refugees and international protection applicants. In partnership with Tusla, family resource centres operate a prevention and early intervention approach offering support to all children and families in their community, while also targeting those most in need and those at risk of harm. In 2023, 129,305 people participated in family resource centre initiatives, highlighting their importance in fostering social inclusion and lifelong learning.

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