Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 11 Nov 2003

Vol. 574 No. 1

Written Answers. - Community Development.

Paudge Connolly

Question:

518 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the level of funding allocated to each county in the Border, Midlands and Western region by her Department under the various operational programmes since the establishment of the BMW regional assembly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26154/03]

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Mary Coughlan):

The family services project operated by my department is designed to provide a high quality information service on the range of supports available to families from State agencies and from the community and voluntary sector with a particular emphasis on the services available locally. The project also provides information and customer referrals to the recently established family support agency.

Following the success of the initial pilot phase of the project the Government allocated €15,236,858, £12 million, over the period 2000-06 in the national development plan for the progressive expansion of the successful elements of the project, €1,269.738, £1 million, in each of the years 2000 and 2001 and €2,539,476, £2 million, per year thereafter.

Projects are now well advanced in all ten of the Department's regions. A project has been operational in the midlands region since January 2002 and another was established in the north-west region in January 2003. Further projects have been set up in the western and north-east regions as recently as July 2003.

In 2002, 13 initiatives were funded under the family services project in the Border, midland and western region. To date in 2003, a further 26 initiatives have been funded in the region. A comprehensive breakdown of these initiatives by county will be forwarded to the Deputy. Further FSP activities will be developed in the areas concerned during 2004.