Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am taking this on behalf of the Minister for Children, Equality and Disability, Deputy O'Gorman, so I will read his reply into the record. Deputy O'Gorman has had recent correspondence with a number of individuals on this subject and, in particular, the hope to establish a family resource centre at Attic House in Longford. The Minister also regularly engages with colleagues in the Dáil and other public representatives and interested parties seeking additional family resource centres in different parts of the country.

Both the Minister and the Department acknowledge important, inclusive work many groups that hope to develop family resource centres already carry out across communities in Ireland. Tusla, the child and family agency, administers the family resource centre programme. This supports 121 family resource centres throughout the country. Currently, there are no plans to increase the number of family resource centres. Tusla area managers engage in the commissioning process. Their involvement with community and voluntary agencies greatly informs that process. Tusla aims to utilize the total resources available to it in the most efficient, equitable, proportionate and sustainable way in order to improve outcome for children, young people and families.

Tusla recognises the importance of supporting the provision of community services. The Department and Tusla's national commissioning officers have received several requests from interested parties seeking to become members of the family resource centre programme. Should membership of the family resource centre programme be expanded in the future, Tusla has advised that a transparent process would be established to ensure all applicants are treated fairly. This would include engagement with community organisations throughout the country that may wish to make expressions of interest.

Inadequacies and gaps in service provision are identified through Tusla's commissioning process, which is carried out at a local and national level on an ongoing basis. Proximity of services would also be an important factor and communities are facing many challenges. There are a number of family resource interests in the region available to residents, such as Bridgeway Family Resource Centre in Ballymahon, Lios na Gréine Family Resource Centre in Granard as well as Cara Phort in Athlone, Westmeath. In addition, the Department, in conjunction with the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service, IGEES, has recently concluded and published a spending review of Tusla's family support services. The review is a comprehensive analysis focusing on family support services policy, landscape, commissioning and governance and trends in family support services expenditure in recent years. The review will be a key to the next steps in the area of family support services, including any alterations to the programme.What the Senator has put before us today is something I will bring back to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. A population of 10,000 people has no family resource centre and a building is available which means no capital infrastructure is required. The Senator mentioned the diversity of the community and the women's refuge centre. We need to consider how it can partner with and support organisations.

Senator Carrigy spoke to my brief regarding autism and the need to support families in the community. There needs to be a key focal point that can be signposted. Family resource centres are a front door for so many. It is more than likely to be the piece that is missing in the jigsaw of the Senator's tapestry in order to finish off what is needed in the community. As Senator O'Loughlin would attest to, the family resource centre in Kildare is very good. However, it needed an additional key worker to meet the need in the area. They play a vital role in communities.