Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 23 Oct 2001

Vol. 542 No. 5

Written Answers. - Family Support Agency.

Conor Lenihan

Question:

380 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the purpose which is served by the proposed transfer of the family and community resource centres to the proposed family support agency in view of their principled reasons for remaining within the community development support project programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25198/01]

Conor Lenihan

Question:

381 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the steps he intends to take to safeguard the role of the family and community resource centres following his decision to transfer them to the proposed family support agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25199/01]

Conor Lenihan

Question:

382 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if, in advance of the decision to transfer the projects of the family resource centres to the proposed family support agency, he consulted with the projects concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25200/01]

Conor Lenihan

Question:

383 Mr. C. Lenihan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the way in which the decision to transfer the family resource centres to the proposed family support agency may be reconciled with the commitment in his Department's White Paper, Supporting Voluntary Activity, that voluntary organisations have a right to be consulted about policy in relation to the design and delivery of services and programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25201/01]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 380 to 383, inclusive, together.

The Government's commitments in An Action Programme for the Millennium form the basis for the establishment of the family support agency. The Family Support Agency Bill was published on 13 July 2001 and is at present before Dáil Éireann. The new agency will bring together the main programmes and pro-family services introduced in recent years in line with the Government's "Families First" approach – to support families, promote continuity and stability in family life and prevent marital breakdown and foster a supportive community environment for families at local level. Some £12 million or 15.24 million has been allocated this year by the Government for the development of family services in the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs – up from £1.5 million or 1.9 million in 1997. The family support agency will provide a family mediation service, support, promote and develop the provision of marriage and relationship counselling and other family support services, support, promote and develop the family and community services resource centre programme, provide information on these services and parenting issues, undertake research and advise me as Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs about family matters.

Thus the family support agency will provide a comprehensive and coherent response for families in need of these services and for families generally. All of these separate activities are currently taking place in my Department but it is my own view and that of the Government that a State agency affords the opportunity to bring a coherence into this complex area. The family and community services resource centres are an essential component of the Families First approach in building neighbourhood solidarity and responding to families locally. That is why they have been singled out by Government in recent years for radical improvement and expansion.

In 1997, there were ten centres. In the Action Programme for the Millennium the Government is committed to the establishment of 100 centres. To date there are 75 centres either operational or approved for inclusion in the programme. The family support agency legislation provides an enabling framework within which the Government has decided that the family and community services resource centres programme can be further developed. The family support agency will be an important resource to the work of the centres enhancing the role and capacity of these local community initiatives in responding to families at neighbourhood level. Reassurances about all of these matters, clarification of the Government proposals as set out in the Family Support Agency Bill, the promotion and development of the centres' ways of working and identification of the administrative and practical issues to be addressed to ensure a smooth transfer of the programmes to the new agency when it is established are the focus of ongoing discussions between officials of my Department and the FRC forum.

Officials from my Department met with representatives of the family and community services resource centres on 6 July 2001. A meeting with representatives of the FRC forum took place on 26 September and a further meeting at official level is planned for 13 November. I plan to officially launch the forum later this week. All of these events are taking place in the spirit of participation and co-working in pursuit of a common aim – in this case the well being of families – as envisaged in the Government White Paper on supporting voluntary activity which also affirms the fundamental responsibility of Government for setting the direction of policy in social and economic issues. The Government plans for the family support agency were first announced on 15 May 2001 – UN International Day of Families. Representatives from over 300 voluntary and community groups providing family support services, the social partners and public representatives were invited to the launch.