Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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158. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will challenge the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform’s decision to freeze Tusla funding at to community and voluntary organisations at 18% below 2009 levels, thus reducing their ability to provide essential services to vulnerable children and families in south Kildare and countrywide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22114/23]

Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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160. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the engagement he and his party have had with Tusla, the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and other relevant stakeholders returning funding to community and voluntary organisations, whose current funding is still below 18% 2009 levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22116/23]

Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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161. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the engagement with Tusla and the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform regarding a commitment to minimum 4% year-on-year funding increases to community and voluntary services to bring their services up to the level required to cope with demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22117/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 158, 160 and 161 together.

Thank you Deputy for your questions. This is an important topic and impacts many services being provided on behalf of the State.

It is important to recognise, the work that the many and varied bodies you refer to provide, is vital to many families and vulnerable people. I greatly appreciate the work of these community NGOs, often described as Section 56 organisations in a Tusla context.

The table below indicates the changes in overall funding from Tusla to these bodies. You can see that funding has been increasing in recent years. In addition, it should be noted that other Government bodies can also provide significant funding to deliver services on their behalf. For example, during 2020 for a subset of section 56 organisations, more than half of the funding for the Family Resource Centres came from non-Tusla sources such as Local Authorities, ETBs, the HSE, Pobal or the Department of Social Protection.

Section 56 (14) of the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013 is clear that Tusla's arrangements with such providers do "not give rise to an employment relationship between a service provider, its employees or agents on the one hand and [Tusla] on the other'. None of these staff are employees of the State and their concern for pay rates would best be addressed with their employers.

Tusla Broader NGO sector funding 2017-2022

In 2022, all Section 56 organisations funded by Tusla were awarded an additional 4% increase to their core funding (Sustainability Funding). I am aware that these NGOs often provide significant levels of assistance on the ground in communities who are welcoming Ukrainian people and I have asked Tusla to continue to support Family Resource Centres and other NGOs in those efforts. My Department has provided specific additional funding to allow this support to be provided.

We are aware that organisations funded under Section 56 of the Child and Family Agency, Act 2013, are struggling to recruit and retain staff, this is mirrored in many of the caring and public facing professions across the State. There is a concern that if the sustainability of funding for the Community sector is not addressed, there is a risk that valuable services may be lost. Currently services provided by Community organisations represent some of the most cost-effective services in the areas that Tusla provides services. The sustainability of the sector who deliver valuable services through their staff on our behalf is a concern for both the Department and Tusla. In addition, this issue impacts a number of other Departments.

A spending review of Tusla-funded family support services is in its final stages. A summary of the review was published in December 2022 and two detailed chapters are expected in the near future. This review will help inform future priorities for investment in these services.

I will continue to engage with Tusla, and community NGOs on the key issue of their funding and sustainability of the valuable services they provide to our communities. I will be considering Tusla's provision of Family support services in my Performance Framework for Tusla for the period 2024-2026.

In the meantime, Tusla continues to work with community-based family support organisations to best meet the needs of vulnerable children, families and communities.