Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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36. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will carry out a review into the funding model for family resource centres and other community services under the remit of Tusla. [31356/20]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Tusla uses a commissioning model of funding to ensure that all available resources are used by the frontline services it funds to improve outcomes for children and families, in an efficient, effective, and fair way.

As part of this process, Tusla:

- analyses the needs of a service area,

- consults stakeholders,

- considers its available resources and statutory duties, and

- assesses what resources may be available in the community and voluntary sector.

I support this approach to ensuring resources allocated will enable Tusla achieve the best possible outcomes for children. It is important that Tusla can determine the best ways to meet local needs, within available resources.

The FRC Programme was established by the then Department of Social and Family Affairs in 1994. Later it transferred to the Family Support Agency, which became part of Tusla on its establishment in 2014.

The funding for FRCs this year amounted to some €18m.

I greatly value the work of these Tusla funded services. I recently met with the Family Resource Centre National Forum and heard their concerns and wishes for future resourcing. I am aware of pressures across the community and voluntary sector, which have implications for a number of government departments.

I intend to work with my cabinet colleagues, and with Tusla, to ensure our key delivery partners are enabled to fully meet the needs of children, young people and their families.

On 30 September last, I submitted my Performance Framework to Tusla, which will inform its priority focuses for the next three years. My vision for Tusla is for an Agency that equips families and communities to be strong and supportive of children and young people, and promotes their wellbeing.

I am pleased to have secured additional funding of €61m for Tusla in this year's Budget which, I believe, will help the Agency more fully achieve this vision. The exact details of where this additional funding is allocated by Tusla will be finalised in the coming weeks, and will form part of my consideration of Tusla’s Business Plan for 2021.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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37. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the date on which the Tusla review into the provision of safe emergency accommodation for victims of domestic violence will be published; the analysis carried out by his Department and-or Tusla into the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the number of emergency accommodation spaces available for victims of domestic violence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30631/20]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The strategic review of emergency accommodation for victims of domestic violence that Tusla is currently undertaking is due to be fully completed by Quarter 2 next year.

I had hoped that it would be ready by the end of this year but the impact of Covid resulted in the diversion of all available capacity to managing the issues arising for refuges and service users.

Substantial progress has been made on a number of processes which contribute to the review. These include a literature review, consultations with stakeholders, geographical and census data analysis, consultation with service users and policy analysis. The literature review is now complete.

In 2020, I am providing €25.3m to Tusla in core funding for DSGBV services. I am also providing additional resources to Tusla to address challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. €800,000 has issued to DSGBV services to date, and I anticipate that €1.2m will be provided by the end of the year.

Since the beginning of this crisis, Tusla has actively engaged with services to support a continuity of service, and prioritised DSGBV services as a key service area during COVID-19. We know that COVID-19 restrictions present particular risks to victims of domestic or sexual violence. This can make it more challenging for them to access supports.

Tusla continues to monitor the situation in refuges with regard to the impact of COVID-19. According to Tusla, at the end of September, the number of operational refuge spaces was reduced by approximately 53 so that services could operate in line with COVID-19 guidelines.

Tusla has worked with refuges to identify and secure additional accommodation places where needs have arisen, and is working to bring a number of additional safe houses onstream shortly. At the end of September, 118 women or families were in refuge services, including off-site units. This also includes 160 children.

I understand that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will be taken into account by Tusla, in its accommodation review.

Tusla is particularly aware of the need for additional refuge spaces to be self-contained, in line with public health recommendations. The recently developed Modh Eile refuge in Galway City, which opened this year, is a good example of a model that meets these needs.