Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 October 2015
4. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will commit to providing adequate resources to put family resource centres, FRCs, on a sustainable financial footing to protect their essential services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36664/15]
View answerA total of 109 FRCs provide invaluable services in their communities throughout the country, ranging from early intervention and prevention to enhancing families and helping to rebuild communities. Despite this, they have suffered a 5% cut year-on-year to their funding since 2011. What measures will the Minister and the Government introduce in light of the increased funding to Tusla in the 2016 budget to ensure these valuable resources in our communities are put on a sustainable footing for the future?
On its establishment on 1 January 2014, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, took over responsibility for the family resource centre programme, which was previously operated by the then Family Support Agency. Tusla is spending €13.09 million in 2015 supporting 109 FRCs around the country. Funding has been maintained this year at 2014 levels. Tusla very much values the work of the centres and recognises the positive impact of their work in supporting families and local communities around the country. FRCs provide a holistic service of child, family and community support and advocacy to children and families in their communities. I welcome Tusla's intent to improve and build on the strengths of the FRC programme in meeting its mandate for community-based early intervention and family support.
I announced a significant increase in the funding allocation to Tusla for next year. Tusla will have available to it some €676 million in funding, representing an increase of €38 million over 2015 on top of an increase of €20 million in 2014. We have therefore increased Tusla funding by approximately 10%. The precise funding to be provided to FRCs will now be considered by Tusla in developing its business plan for 2016, which will be sent to me for consideration.
The Government, since its establishment, has attached particular priority to supporting vulnerable children and families, and the significant increase in funding being made available to Tusla next year represents further evidence of our delivery on this ambition.
I am glad the Minister values the work of FRCs. He confirmed that funding has been maintained at 2014 level, but I alluded to a 15% cut in funding since 2011. FRCs are primarily located in disadvantaged areas. They have versatile and responsive staff who respond to the needs of their community, and they often intervene before problems manifest. During the summer, I met representatives of FRCs in my constituency - Ballynacarrigy, Granard, Ballymahon and Athlone - and one of the directors said they feel like they were sitting with a hatchet over their heads, never knowing when it will fall.
Funding has been provided for rent and staff - they are not even fully staffed - but funding is still not in place for the services they provide. What is being stated is that while the service is being provided, people will be obliged to pay for it. In light of the additional funding, will money be ring-fenced for the family resource centres in the future? Will the Minister restore what was lost in the cuts suffered over the past four years? Will he put in place a firm commitment in order that these much-needed services are put on a sustainable footing into the future?
I remind the Deputy that from 2011 to 2014, this country started on a recovery from the greatest financial crisis it had ever endured, and for Ireland to regain its financial sovereignty, it was necessary to reduce funding for virtually all services. Consequently, in 2014 it was a reflection of the Government's commitment to this area that it was able to maintain the funding for 2014 into 2015. As I stated, Tusla will draw up its own business plan which it will forward to me. However, I have pointed out that it values this service highly and the programmes delivered by it are myriad. They include child contact centres, family conferencing, patient support groups, child care providers, after-school clubs, homework clubs, study clubs, literacy programmes, preschools, playschools, breakfast clubs, lunch clubs, out-of-school initiatives including summer camps and transition programmes, Rainbows programmes, counselling, family fun days, lone parents groups, parent and toddler groups, youth groups including no-name clubs and youth cafés, intergenerational groups, fathers groups including father and son groups and supervised access initiatives, library and book-lending services, substance abuse support groups and school uniform exchanges, to mention just some programmes. This is an important programme and resource. There are 109 such centres nationwide and Tusla values them highly, as do I.
I am glad the Minister values them and I remind him politics is all about choices. Even though we were in difficult economic times, the Government chose to cut funding to an agency that provides much-needed services and which works in the most disadvantaged parts of the community to support and help those communities and the families concerned. I again ask the Minister whether he will acknowledge that a small investment in this area provides significant returns for the money invested. In light of the significant returns it has given, will the Minister give a commitment that the funding cuts these centres have endured in recent years will be restored? Will there be a commitment to put this resource on a sustainable footing and that Tusla officials will meet representatives from the family resource centres to consider this in the future? Can the Minister confirm it is not the Government's plan to rationalise services like this, as it is doing at present in respect of the domestic abuse services?
First, I am not quite sure what the Deputy means by stating the Government is rationalising domestic abuse services.
The Government is cutting them and telling the services they are being rationalised.
There will be ongoing consultation between Tusla and the services it funds. As the Deputy is aware, there is a huge amount of volunteerism within this sector and I take every opportunity I can to congratulate and thank sincerely those who give so freely of their time in this regard. Approximately 40,000 volunteers work in the youth sector alone and then the family resource centres are in addition to that. I have visited many of them and the work they do is invaluable. Funding is always an issue and in respect of value for money, one will not beat it anywhere, but more than that, the value they add in what they do within their communities is priceless.
