Dáil debates

Tuesday, 14 February 2017

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions

Family Resource Centres

4:25 pm

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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40. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her views on whether family resource centres are provided with adequate funding and supports to carry out their responsibilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7351/17]

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge what has happened over the past number of days. I will not dwell on it but it is important for people to understand that these questions were tabled in advance of the programmes and revelations of the past number of days. I hope the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs will get the opportunity to come before us to make a statement and answer whatever questions we need to ask. Does the Minister believe family resource centres are provided with adequate funding and supports to carry out their responsibilities?

Photo of Katherine ZapponeKatherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I very much value the role that family resource centres play in providing support to vulnerable children and families. Tusla provides a significant level of financial support to family resource centres across the country to assist them in their work with vulnerable children and families. Tusla provides funding to some 109 communities through the family and community services resource centre programme. This typically covers the employment of two to three members of staff and some overhead costs. In 2016, Tusla provided €13.5 million in core funding under the programme. In addition, Tusla provided funding of €595,000 to family resource centres for counselling services under the agency's counselling grants scheme. In December 2016, in recognition of the valuable work that the family resource centres do, Tusla provided additional once-off funding of €1.422 million to centres. This additional funding, which was in the form of minor capital assistance, allowed for the upgrade of equipment and other remedial works at centres.

Family resource centres are supported by two regional support agencies, which are funded by Tusla under the family and community services resource centre programme. These support agencies play a key role in promoting good practice providing technical support, advice and training to family resource centres.

Tusla also provides funding under the programme to the family resource centre national forum. The forum operates as a network for all family resource centres. It provides networking and training opportunities as well as information and support. Tusla plans to build on the strengths of the programme in the years ahead as it continues to deliver on its mandate for community-based early intervention, prevention and family support. Tusla is currently finalising details of the funding to be allocated to family resource centres in 2017 and will be confirming funding levels for individual centres shortly.

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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After listening to the Minister's reply, one would nearly believe that Tusla is whiter than white with the amount of funding it gives to family resource centres. It is not the first time I have put down this question but rather the second. The reason I put down this question is because family resource centres are stretched to capacity. By and large, most family resource centres have approximately two key workers. The Minister is right. Funding covers salaries and a bit of capital. Most centres do not have a development worker. They provide valuable resources to families in need, particularly in respect of counselling services for children.

An example is Gort family resource centre, where they are helping with the undocumented. They need three times the amount of staff to deal with what is being presented. They are carrying out the role of the community welfare officer also. When is the Minister going to allocate funding to support the development workers that are required on the ground and to deliver a good service and support to Tusla?

4:35 pm

Photo of Katherine ZapponeKatherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I thank Deputy Rabbitte for those qualifying questions. Tusla is currently finalising details of the funding to be allocated to family resource centres in 2017. As the Deputy knows, I was able to increase the overall budget for Tusla for 2017. It will confirm funding levels for individual centres shortly. I understand the various issues raised by the Deputy in terms of the difficulties and the levels of funding. Tusla is looking at that and is engaging with Family Resource Centre National Forum, which represents the views of all the family resource centres nationally. It also meets with individual family resource centres on an annual basis to discuss governance, funding and service issues. Tusla recognises the benefits that additional funding can bring to family resource centres. In my 2017 statement to Tusla, I emphasised the importance of prevention and early intervention in enhancing outcomes for families and children as one of my key priorities.

Photo of Anne RabbitteAnne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome what the Minister has said. Support for the family resource centres has to be front and centre of what we are looking for from Tusla. From 2011 up to the previous budget, the centres endured a huge number of cuts. That has impacted on the service they deliver at a local level, which affects every family that requests their support, be it from the very young to the most vulnerable and the aged. They provide an outstanding service. I witness it myself in Loughrea family support centre, where the additional capitation means that they can now look forward to moving into a new centre and can cut down on the fundraising they were continuously doing. It is amazing how the little bit of funding directed in that way can support the family resource centres, the development workers and the extra capitation. Many families can benefit from that quality of care.

Photo of Katherine ZapponeKatherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I have no doubt that Tusla will be aware of and listening to the comments that the Deputy is raising, as I am myself, in terms of the ways in which the supports and resources that are being provided to the family resource centres can be used in the most effective manner. The Deputy has suggested that there are certain ways in which additional resources should be targeted in order to increase the efficiency of the family resource centres that work in conjunction with their own communities and, no doubt, with a number of volunteers. As I said earlier, Tusla recognises the benefits that additional funding can bring to family resource centres, as I do myself. It is Tusla's intention to review the funding and resource allocation model as it applies to family resource centres. The review will take account of significant resource pressures experienced by family resource centres up and down the country.