John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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548. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if funding and resources will be increased for the family resource network; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41411/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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There are over 100 Family Resource Centres currently in receipt of funding from Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. Tusla provides funding to the centres under an annual Service Level Agreement. This funding is provided by way of a contribution towards the running costs of the centres. The 2017 Tusla allocation to Family Resource Centres is €13.512m.

Family Resource Centres are front-line services rooted in the communities they serve. Acting as a focal point within their communities, Family Resource Centres provide a holistic service of child, family and community support and advocacy to all children and families in their communities. While Family Resource Centres operate an open-door policy and provide many services and development opportunities at a universal level, they also proactively target specific cohorts within their communities.

Tusla fully appreciates the role that Family Resource Centres play in offering early intervention support to families in difficulty.

It is not possible at this stage to advise on what level of funding will be made available by Tusla to Family Resource Centres in 2018. This issue will be clarified in the context of the annual Estimates process and having regard to the overall level of funding available to Tusla in 2018.