Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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246. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which statutory and voluntary child support services continue to have adequate resources available to them to meet their current and ongoing requirements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15219/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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There is a wide range of child and family support services available through both the statutory and non statutory sectors. These include services provided by Government Departments, other state agencies and an extensive network of non-governmental organisations.

Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, allocates funding of approximately €100m to 700 voluntary organisations to provide services on its behalf. The organisations involved include large “not-for-profit” organisations, private providers and small groups.

In the area of child welfare and protection services, Tusla has the necessary structures and processes in place to ensure the provision of more responsive and integrated services to children, young people and families at risk. The Agency, in discharging its functions, places a strong emphasis on prevention, early intervention, family support, therapeutic and care interventions, all of which are key to the provision of integrated, multi-disciplinary services for vulnerable children and families.

Tusla will continue to work closely with service providers to improve services for children.