Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 264: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the details of a grant scheme administered by his Department for the construction of a family resource centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21822/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Under the Family and Community Services Resource Centre Programme, which is administered by the Family Support Agency, funding of €200,000 for capital projects was made available in 2005. This was increased to €300,000 in 2006. Capital funding is only available to those centres already included in the Programme as approved Family Research Centres.

There is a commitment under the National Development Plan 2000-2006 to fund 100 Family Resource Centres by the end of 2006. There are currently 91 centres in receipt of core funding in the Programme. A further 9 centres have approval to join the Programme and are currently working with their Regional Support Agencies. As this brings the overall number to the 100 centres to which the Agency is committed, I regret that applications for inclusion into the current Programme cannot be considered at present.

The programme is currently being reviewed. If expansion of the Programme is included as part of the next National Development Plan 2007-2013 the Agency will then consider applications for inclusion.

There is no official application form for groups wishing to apply for inclusion in the Family and Community Services Resource Centre Programme. I am arranging to have information on the selection of Projects and the "Criteria for inclusion in the Programme" forwarded to the Deputy for his information.