Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 839: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will reply to correspondence by an organisation (details supplied). [38242/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Family Support Agency administers the Scheme of Grants to voluntary and community organisations providing marriage, relationship, child and bereavement counselling services. This year, funding of over €11 million is being granted to some 600 organisations. The organisation in question received funding of over €447,000 under the 2009 Scheme of Grants.

In the last couple of weeks, a number of representations have been received on behalf of the organisation in question regarding the possible implications for them if the recommendations of the Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes are implemented. These representations have been replied to.

The position, as outlined in these replies, is that the Report 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.