Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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165. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to ensure that family resource centres receive funding (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28402/24]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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166. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide enhanced supports to family resource centres (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28403/24]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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182. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide improved supports to family resource centres (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28435/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 165, 166 and 182 together.

I wish to inform the Deputy that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency administers the FRC Programme, which supports 121 FRCs throughout the country. My Department allocates core funding for the FRC Programme through Tusla, which amounts to some €24 million in 2024. Tusla has advised my Department that the current level of funding is to sustain existing services operating in the FRC Programme.

The Deputy will be aware that at the end of April I brought forward a funding equalisation scheme for existing FRCs, which will see all FRC Programme members receive additional core funding in 2024 and ensure that minimum core funding for all FRCs is at least €160,000 from 2025 onwards. This funding will support the pivotal role FRCs play in so many communities across the country by providing a comprehensive range of services tailored to individual community needs.

Any potential changes in funding are considered as part of the annual Budgetary process, which represents a significant number of competing priorities in a challenging fiscal space. It is my intention to seek funding in Budget 2025 to stabilise funding to existing Programme members, and to explore options to increase the numbers of FRCs. Any expansion of the Programme will, however, be dependent on the success of my Budget negotiations.

Tusla funding to FRCs operates through a specific budgetary line, and expenditure on FRCs is reflected in Tusla’s Annual Report and Financial Statements. In addition, specific topics or instances of activity can be flagged by FRCs with Tusla’s National Commissioning Office. An example of this is work done by FRCs with Ukrainian Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection living in the local communities.

The Deputy should also be aware that FRCs draw on various sources of funding provided by other Government Departments, agencies and private sources.

In relation to counselling services, the FRC Programme members are intrinsic to the delivery of such services on behalf of Tusla. In addition to counselling funding provided by Tusla, of the €1.5 million secured by my Department under Dormant Accounts Funding for counselling services, a total of €579k in counselling grants was allocated by Tusla to Family Resource Centres, to allow them to continue their important work of providing counselling services in the community. This additional funding increases counselling, psychotherapy and therapeutic services to children and young people experiencing social and economic disadvantage in communities around Ireland. It will help to address unmet need and reduce waiting lists for community-based counselling services.