Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 604: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason County Louth is the only county which does not have a family resource centre; if his Department will consider an application for funding for such a facility from a Drogheda based community group proposing the establishment of such a facility in the Moneymore area of Drogheda, County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9979/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The administration of the Family and Community Services Resource Centre (FRC) Programme is one of the key functions of the Family Support Agency. The aim of the FRC Programme is essentially to help combat disadvantage by improving the function of the family unit. FRCs empower disadvantaged people by involving them in decisions which affect them and in using and developing their own skills, knowledge and experience. The centres focus on developing the skill levels and capacities of their local communities, including training for voluntary management committees, to encourage communities to become self reliant and self directed.

The emphasis 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 areas concerned. The services provided and activities supported by the resource centres are designed to meet the needs of the local community and include the provision of training, information, advice and support to target groups and families in the area; the provision of education courses, child care facilities to those attending such courses and the running of after-school clubs.

Priority in funding is given to centres which serve those areas where communities are contending with multiple disadvantages and where families are facing significant challenges in trying to rear their children and securing positive futures for them. Family Resource Centres are an example of the kind of community initiative which the Government is keen to develop, focusing as they do on family support and social inclusion. For this reason I am pleased to say that the target set by the Government under the 2000-2006 National Development Plan of including 100 Family Resource Centres in the FRC Programme nationwide by the end of 2006 has been fully achieved. Funding under the programme has increased substantially from €317,500 in 1994 to over €18.8 million in 2007.

The Family Support Agency received an application for inclusion in the FRC programme on 6 March 2007 from a group from the Moneymore area of Drogheda, County Louth. The National Development Plan (NDP) 2007-2013 has provided funding for the expansion of the Family and Community Services Resource Centre Programme over the lifetime of the plan. Funding has been received for six new centres in 2007.

At present the Family Support Agency has 20 applications on hand seeking inclusion in the programme and as only six new centres can be included this year, some applications will not be successful in 2007. This application will be considered under the relevant criteria of the scheme and a decision made in due course. This is the first application that has been received by the Family Support Agency from a group in County Louth seeking inclusion in the programme.