Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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1156. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of family resource centres in County Donegal offering family contact centre services; the process by which they can be accessed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35746/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Tusla, the Child and Family Agency administers the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme, which is Ireland’s largest family support programme, delivering universal services to families in disadvantaged areas across the country. Each Family Resource Centre (FRC) operates autonomously, working inclusively with individuals, families, communities, and both statutory and non-statutory agencies.

Services provided by FRCs across the country vary considerably, depending on the size of the centre, local demographics, level of service usage, and the extent of other local services.

There are nine Family Resource Centres in Donegal at present, and a new FRC is currently being established in Stranorlar, Co. Donegal. The range of family access facilities available in FRCs in County Donegal is outlined as follows:

- Donegal Family Resource Centre provides an unsupervised family access facility which requires a signed agreement between the centre and the family concerned. Families may be directed by the courts to use the facility or can access it directly.

- St. Johnston and Carrigan's Family Resource Centre provides supervised and unsupervised family access facilities.  Use of this facility also requires a signed agreement between the centre and the family concerned.

- Unsupervised family access facilities are also available through the following FRCs:

1. The Forge Family Resource Centre, Pettigo,

2. Meevagh Family Resource Centre, Downings,

3. Dunfanaghy Family Resource Centre,

4. Raphoe Family Resource Centre.

- Family access facilities are not available in Cara House Family Resource Centre, Downstrands Family Resource Centre, or Moville Family Resource Centre. 

Tusla has advised that it anticipates that a family access facility will be available in the new Finn Valley Family Resource Centre in Stranorlar when the service is fully operational.

Court-ordered family access arrangements are also facilitated by Tusla social workers in Letterkenny, Buncrana and Donegal town. 

Tusla recognises Family Resource Centres as an important component of its service delivery model, and will continue to work with them to provide services to children and families in Donegal and throughout the country.