Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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371. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if a response will issue, and his views on pre-Budget 2025 request from an organisation (details supplied) in relation to family resource centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37553/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Firstly, I would like to thank the Deputy for sharing this note from the Family Resource Centre Employers Action Group. I am aware of many of their concerns from my engagement with the Family Resource Centre National Forum.

My Department allocates core funding for the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme via Tusla, which amounts to some €24 million in 2024.

At the end of April this year, 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.

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, in 2024 my Department secured €1.5 million under Dormant Accounts Funding for counselling services, and 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 helps to address unmet need and reduce waiting lists for community-based counselling services.

In relation to capital funding, I wish to inform the Deputy that neither my Department nor Tusla have capital funding to develop the capital infrastructure of Family Resource Centres, however FRCs may draw on various sources of funding provided by other Government Departments, agencies and private sources.

At this time, my Department is engaging with Tusla in relation to the 2025 estimates. 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. Notwithstanding this, it is my intention to seek funding in Budget 2025 to explore options to support and increase the number of FRCs. Any expansion of the Programme will however, be dependent on the success of my Budget negotiations. The Tusla Area Commissioning Plan will be a critical contribution to the decision-making process as it is Tusla’s aim is to utilise the total resources available to it in the most efficient, equitable, proportionate and sustainable way in order to improve outcomes for children, young people, and families.