John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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687. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the Tusla family services grant will be paid to an education centre (details supplied). [37371/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Tusla, the Child and Family Agency administers funding to support the provision of counselling services to vulnerable children and families. Tusla provides funding to voluntary organisations offering the following types of counselling/psychotherapy and support:

- Marriage and Relationship Counselling;

- Child Counselling;

- Rainbows peer support programme for children;

- Bereavement Counselling and Support on the death of a family member.

In 2018, all counselling services funded by Tusla were required to sign a Service Level Agreement (SLA), which introduced comprehensive governance standards.

Tusla has advised that it is currently reviewing the documentation, submitted by the organisation referred to by the Deputy, in order to ensure that it is in accordance with the SLA. Tusla has contacted the organisation in question to advise it that when all documentation is in order, monies will issue on the next available payment date.

Tusla is committed to using all available resources for children and families in the most efficient, equitable, proportionate and sustainable way.