Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 July 2016
7. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to address concerns that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is providing inadequate levels of resources to family resource centres throughout the country and does not properly support their vital community role. [23060/16]
View answerWill the Minister address concerns that Tusla is providing inadequate levels of funding of resources to the family resource centres throughout the country and does not properly support their vital community role?
I will give the Minister a chance to gather herself.
This is my fault.
Will I give way to Deputy Jan O'Sullivan?
It is okay.
There is no rush.
Would the Minister prefer to take Deputy O'Sullivan's question first?
Does the Minister want to take Deputy O'Sullivan's question first?
Sorry-----
It is no hassle.
My apologies. I thought questions to the Minister were not starting until 4.30 p.m.
That is okay.
I apologise. I have located the reply to Deputy Rabbitte's question. I am happy to take it or-----
We will go with Deputy Rabbitte's question.
Is that okay?
The Minister has two minutes to reply.
I am very conscious of the role that family resource centres play in offering early intervention and support to families in difficulty. The level of funding provided in 2016 demonstrates the Government's support for child and family services around the country.
There are currently 108 communities supported through the family resource centre programme funded by Tusla. In 2016, Tusla is providing €13.5 million in core funding to the family resource centre programme, an increase of €422,000 over 2015. In addition, Tusla is providing funding of €595,000 to 75 family resource centres for low-cost counselling services under the agency's counselling grants scheme. This is an increase of €45,000 over the 2015 provision. Family resource centres are also supported by two regional support agencies, which are funded by Tusla. These support agencies play a key role in promoting good practice and providing technical support, advice and training to family resource centres.
Tusla also provides funding to the Family Resource Centre National Forum, which is a support network working with all the family resource centres throughout Ireland and providing networking and training opportunities, information and support. Tusla intends to build on the strengths of the family resource centre programme in the years ahead in meeting its mandate for community-based early intervention and family support. I strongly agree with this approach.
I heard all that the Minister has said but, every year over the past number of years, and particularly since 2011, there has been a budgetary cut of 5% and this has had an impact on family resource centres. Last year a family resource centre in Duagh in County Kerry got €108 from Tusla. I could not believe it when I read it. That is one of those in the statistics; that is one of our 108 family resource centres. It received €108. It does not have a family resource worker, although it is looking for one. It is running a service. This does not form part of the question, but I am trying to give the Minister a broad idea of the spectrum of requirements of rural areas. That is an example of rural isolation: a family resource centre receives €108 from Tusla. I do not think it is in this day and age quite adequate by any manner or means.
Let me first address the general issue. I have identified some of the ways in which Tusla has increased resources for the family resource centres. I visited a couple of them, including one in Roscommon, in the past few weeks of my Ministry and it is true to say that we are investing in those that have a focus on child care, including the provision of early childhood care and education. This supports the overall viability of family resource centres and their operations. The additional 2016 Tusla funding provided a pilot family resource project in Bandon, County Cork, and extra funding to family resource centres throughout the country, which is being disbursed on the basis of financial need.
I agree with the Minister, which is why I found this very hard. My understanding is that Tusla was focusing on early intervention. Believe it or not, the particular resource centre I spoke about has 97 children in it and receives €108. However, I do not wish to dwell on that.
Have we a vision in Tusla to bring in a counsellor to each of the family resource centres so that there is a counsellor on-site or based in the community? That would assist with early intervention and family support. The dots would be joined up in a community. They would be part of and working in the community and they would be instantly accessible. Is there a plan for the Ministry to develop that in family resource centres?
A number of programmes are in place in family resource centres that provide psychological support to the people who avail of their services. I hear the Deputy's suggestion on the provision of a counsellor in each one. I will raise and discuss that matter with Tusla over the next while to see if it is an efficient way to utilise resources in light of the other projects and programmes it is implementing.
