Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 67: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will provide a commitment for the retention of funding and services for family resource centre programmes in Mohill, Carrick-on-Shannon and Boyle. [31936/09]

Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 72: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the status of the Family Support Agency; the budget for same for 2009; the number of family resource centres it funds; if this funding is guaranteed into the future; if she will maintain family resource centres here in acknowledgement of the work they carry out in local communities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31904/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to answer Questions Nos. 67 and 72 together.

The Family Support Agency (FSA) was established in May 2003 under the Family Support Agency Act, 2001, to bring together programmes and services introduced by the Government which are designed to promote local family support, support ongoing parenting relationships for children and help prevent marital breakdown. The FSA budget for 2009 is €35.707 million. The Family and Community Services Resource Centre Programme is operated by the Family Support Agency. There are currently 107 Family Resource Centres (FRCs) nationwide. The total budget for the FRC Programme in 2009 is over €18m.

The aim of this Programme is to combat disadvantage and improve the functioning of the family unit. The emphasis in Family Resource Centres is on the involvement of the local community in developing approaches to tackle the problems they face and on creating successful partnerships between the voluntary and statutory agencies in the area concerned. FRCs assess the needs of their local communities and ensure that there are services and supports in place to address these needs. They involve people from marginalised groups and areas of disadvantage at all levels in the project.

The Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes made a range of recommendations relating to the Department of Social and Family Affairs including recommendations relating to the Family Support Agency and its programmes. The Department will consider, as part of the Estimates and budgetary process for 2010, the Report's recommendations and decisions on all of the issues arising will be a matter for Government. It would not be appropriate for me to comment further at this stage pending the outcome of these deliberative processes.