Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 284: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his Department, through the family support agency, has received an application from a group (details supplied) in Dublin 24 for inclusion in its family and community services resource centre programme; when a decision will be taken in respect of this application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13960/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The group concerned applied to the family support agency, FSA, for inclusion in the family and community services resource centre, FRC, programme in June 2004. FSA officials visited this group in March 2005. A report on the meeting was prepared which included an overall assessment of the application. This will be submitted for consideration to a committee established by the board of the agency, and with expertise in this area, which has responsibility for assessing applications for inclusion in the programme. The next meeting of this committee is scheduled to take place on 7 June 2005 and this group's application will be considered at that meeting.

The committee's evaluation will then be subject to ratification by the FSA board, which, if positive, will then be submitted for my approval. At this stage the board will notify the group of the outcome.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 285: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the grants available in his Department to assist in the building and renting of family resource centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13961/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Family resource centres are funded under the family and community services resource centre, FRC, programme which is administered by the family support agency. The aim of the FRC programme is essentially to help combat disadvantage by improving the function of the family unit. The emphasis in the centres is on the involvement of local communities in developing approaches to tackle the problems they face and on creating successful partnerships between the voluntary and statutory agencies in the area concerned. Family resource centres involve people from marginalised and most vulnerable groups and areas of disadvantage at all levels in the project.

In 2005, I have made almost €25 million available to the family support agency to fulfil its strategic priorities. These include the expansion of the national family mediation service, the continuing development of the scheme of grants for voluntary organisations providing marriage, child and bereavement counselling services and the ongoing promotion and development of the family and community services resource centre, FRC, programme, to which I specifically allocated over €10.5 million for the current year.

This amount includes a specific allocation of €200,000 toward capital grants to projects in the programme. This is the first year that a grant for capital funding has been allocated to the programme. Annual core funding to projects in the programme includes an amount towards the rental costs of premises.

There are currently 77 family resource centres in receipt of core funding, with another 12 centres to be brought into the programme during this year. I fully expect that the target of 100 centres by the end of 2006, set under the national development plan, will be achieved by the family support agency.