Written answers
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
Department of Children and Youth Affairs
Family Support Services
Derek Nolan (Galway West, Labour)
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791. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reasons for a cut in funding to the Therapeutic Learning Centre in Ballinasloe; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that it is a 50% cut in funding to the service; the way he intends to replace the speech and language service that will cease because of the cut in funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25570/14]
Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The Child and Family Agency has advised that it has provided funding of €9,500 to the Ballinasloe Therapeutic Learning Centre for 2014. In 2013 the Centre received funding of €19,000 from HSE Children and Family Services. The work of the Centre is primarily with children who have a speech and language delay/disorder who are referred from Early Intervention Teams in the HSE. The Centre was advised of the reduction in 2014 funding in March this year.
The Child and Family Agency has advised that the reasons for the reduction in funding are as follows:
- Cost containment as per the national cost containment requirements which has been applied across the sector;The Centre has informed the Child and Family Agency that from September onwards, they will continue to see individual children and families for 8 hours per week who are in child protection and welfare services in the local area. However, they will have to cease offering the 8 hours per week group speech and language therapy supports. The Agency has advised that the Centre has applied for a National Lottery grant of €2,460 to cover summer programmes in July 2014. It has been agreed that the Agency will fund the summer programme should the National Lottery grant application be unsuccessful. The Family Support Services Manager in the Child and Family Agency will meet with Ballinasloe Therapeutic Learning Centre during the summer to assist in programme planning and the provision of supports on the future direction of the organisation in line with Child and Family Support Network and existing services in the area.
- In working towards the national strategic direction of the new Child and Family Agency, there is a requirement to commission services in line with the Meitheal model and to prioritise the development of Child and Family Support networks, targeting children and families who meet the threshold for the services of the Agency, i.e. child protection and welfare;
- The work of Ballinasloe Therapeutic Learning Centre is primarily with children who have speech and language delays/disorders and responsibility for the provision of such services lies with the HSE.
It should be noted that Ballinasloe Family Services, which is separately funded and operated by the Agency, has recently had an increase of one full time staff as a result of redeployment, thereby increasing the capacity to deliver child welfare and family support services in the area.
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