Shane McEntee (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 92: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, further to Parliamentary Question No. 36 of 1 March 2007, if the parenting courses offered by his Department and agencies under his Department are available to all members of the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15308/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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My Department does not provide parenting courses directly. The funding provided by my Department to groups and organisations under the Family Services Project (FSP) and the Special Projects Fund is used to support projects run by third parties to assist welfare recipients and members of their families. The type of projects supported include family support programmes and personal development programmes, the majority of which incorporate a parenting element and projects aimed at improving employability through education and training and personal development.

In 2006 over 400 projects or individuals were assisted through the Family Services Project (FSP) at a total cost of €2.2 million. The overall objective of the FSP is to provide a high quality information service on the range of supports available to families from state agencies and the community & voluntary sector with a particular emphasis on the agencies and services available locally.

The Special Projects Fund is used to provide grants to projects run by third parties to assist welfare recipients as well as members of their families improve their employability through education, training and personal development. My Department sees the Special Projects Fund as a means of supporting innovative responses to increasing employability and tackling social inclusion. There was €2.8 million available under the Special Projects Fund in 2006 and over 160 projects were funded.

The funds are administered by Facilitators based in my Department's Local Offices who work in conjunction with local Voluntary and Community groups and also with statutory organisations. They are operated in a manner that enables a quick response to identified customer needs.

My Department's role in this area is to increase the capacity of those in the most difficult circumstances by improving their self-esteem and personal and family situations through the training, developmental and educational opportunities made available. In 2007 over €5.6 million is being made available in this area.

The Family Support Agency, which comes under the remit of my Department, has statutory responsibility to promote and disseminate information about issues such as parenting and family responsibilities. In 2007, the Agency has been allocated €35.339 million of Government funding to support families and has a mission "to promote family and community well being through the provision of appropriate supports and services to families."

A crucial element of this will be the investment of over €18 million in the Family Resource Centre programme which seeks to help combat disadvantage by improving the functioning of the family unit. The emphasis in the projects 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.

The services provided and activities supported by the resource centres are designed to meet the needs of the local community. They include the provision of parenting courses, education and training opportunities for parents and active dissemination of information on a range of issues affecting families and local communities.

All services provided by Family Resource Centres are designed to meet the requirements of those deemed as most in need by the voluntary boards of the FRCs themselves.