Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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171. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to increase funding to family resource centres (details supplied) as part of budget 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43122/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Budget 2018 provides for a significant increase in the funding allocation to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. In 2018, Tusla will have available to it some €753 million in funding, representing an increase of €40.6 million, or 5.7%, over 2017. The precise details of funding for Family Resource Centres will be considered by Tusla in developing its 2018 Business Plan, based on the Performance Statement, which I will issue later this year.

Tusla provides a financial contribution towards running costs of Family Resource Centres on an annual basis. In 2017, Tusla provided €13.512m for Family Resource Centres. I can confirm that under the 2018 Budget proposed, this will be significantly increased, and will include funding for 11 new Family Resource Centres, in addition to increased funding for the existing 109 centres.

I very much appreciate the role that Family Resource Centres play in offering early intervention support to vulnerable children and families in demographically diverse communities around the country. I am pleased to be in a position to support the work of centres through the targeting of additional resources to services that will impact positively on vulnerable children and families.