Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 December 2018
191. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to increase Tusla's partial funding to a charity (details supplied); if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the caseload of the organisation has almost trebled since 2012 while Tusla funding has decreased by 16% over the same period; if she will meet with the organisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52538/18]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency, administers funding through its Counselling Grants Scheme to voluntary organisations offering marriage/relationship counselling, child counselling, rainbows peer support and bereavement counselling and support.
It should be noted that the allocation of funding within the Counselling Grants Scheme is an operational matter for Tusla. I have no role in the allocation of funding to individual centres.
In 2018, Tusla allocated €6.155m in funding to organisations under its Counselling Grants Scheme. Tusla has advised me that it provides annual funding of €82,389 to the organisation to which the Deputy refers. The purpose of this funding is to provide information, support and counselling to bereaved parents.
Due to overall budget cuts, all community and voluntary organisations experienced funding reductions between 2012 and 2016. However, Tusla has maintained the same level of funding to this organisation since 2016.
Tusla no longer provides funding to this organisation to maintain the National Paediatric Register. In 2017, the Register transferred to Temple Street Children’s University Hospital.
Tusla is committed to working with service providers throughout the country to ensure services are available to vulnerable children and families. As part of its commissioning approach, Tusla continuously seeks to assign resources to areas of greatest need, ensuring the best possible outcomes.
I highly value the work of Tusla and its partner organisations in the provision of child and family services nationwide.
