Written answers

Thursday, 29 September 2016

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Family Resource Centres

Photo of Willie PenroseWillie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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280. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will confirm having received a submission from the National Forum of Family Resource Centres, seeking an adequate level of operational funding for the FRC programme which will ensure that each FRC throughout the country is funded to meet its overhead costs and has adequate staff levels to deliver the family support within the best practice guidelines for working with children and families in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27840/16]

Photo of Katherine ZapponeKatherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I can confirm that I recently received a pre-budget submission for 2017, from the Family Resource Centre National Forum, seeking additional funding to support the Family Resource Centre Programme funded by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.

There are currently 109 communities supported through the Family and Community Services Resource Centre Programme. Tusla provides core funding to Family Resource Centres to cover the employment of two or three members of staff and some overhead costs. Expenditure on the programme in 2016 is of the order of €13.5m. Tusla also funds the Family Resource Centre National Forum from within this amount.

I recognise and value the very positive impact of the work of the Family Resource Centres in supporting families and local communities. The Centres provide a holistic service of child, family and community support and advocacy to all children and families in their community. This universal accessibility allows for early identification of need, provision of appropriate interventions, and timely referrals to appropriate services for more intensive and targeted work as required.

While it would be inappropriate for me to comment at this time on any future decisions that may be taken by Government in the context of Budget 2017, I can assure the Deputy that I will continue to support the work of the Family Support Centres and to the targeting of available resources at those services which make the greatest impact on vulnerable children and families.

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