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Family Resource Centres

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 November 2021

Tuesday, 23 November 2021

Questions (747)

Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

747. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding strands available to a family resource centre (details supplied) in order to maintain the work it undertakes in the community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56897/21]

View answer

Written answers

Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, administers the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth allocates core funding for the FRC Programme and, since 2019, this funding amount has been a total of €18m each year. Tusla provides core funding to 121 FRCs in marginalised communities throughout the country, which enables centres to leverage broader community support and access funding from other sources. Tusla encourages FRCs to access all funding streams that may be available to them, particularly where a FRC may have an area of interest aligned to another Government Department or State body. The range of services and supports in FRCs differs from centre to centre, and may depend on areas of interest in the community.

In exchange for annual funding, FRCs sign a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with Tusla on an annual basis, and agree to provide a specified level of service to those who may require its services. FRCs operate independently of Tusla. The management of an FRC is a matter for the Board of Management of that FRC. Tusla assesses the agreed levels of service, and how that service is being provided, through the annual SLA process.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated financial pressures for many services in the voluntary sector, including FRCs. In 2021, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth provided an additional €7m to some 700 community and voluntary organisations funded by Tusla, including FRCs. FRCs have shown tireless commitment and real innovation in providing services in response to the needs of families at this time. All FRCs have been allocated an additional once-off 5% funding increase in recognition of this. Additionally, a further €618,000 was made available to FRCs in each of 2020 and 2021 from funding through the Dormant Accounts Action Plans for those years. This will allow FRCs to carry out maintenance works, to purchase essential equipment and furnishings, and undertake additional works and service developments required to respond to the impact of COVID-19.

The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is committed to working with colleagues in Government, Tusla and across the FRC Programme to ensure the sustainability of FRC services to meet the needs of children, young people and their families across Ireland.

From my own Department’s perspective, in 2020 and 2021, funding was awarded to more than 800 organisations to continue to deliver vital services to the most vulnerable in our communities, through the COVID-19 Stability Fund for Community and Voluntary Organisations, Charities and Social Enterprises. While this scheme is now closed, I was pleased to award €50,442 to the organisation in question under this fund in 2020.

My Department currently supports the organisation in question under the Community Services Programme (CSP), which supports the provision of employment opportunities and the delivery of local services, through a social enterprise model. The organisation receives funding of €146,198 per annum towards the cost of supporting one manager and six full time equivalent positions.

In response to the difficulties faced by organisations due to COVID-19, my Department developed a €7.95m CSP Support Fund which assisted CSP supported organisations to continue to retain their CSP supported employees on their payroll, provided assistance for the employers’ PRSI contribution, during this crisis period up to June 2021 and also assisted those organisations most in need to meet their ongoing operational costs such as insurance, light and heat and audit fees. I can confirm that the organisation has received additional funding of €8,211 during 2021 under the CSP Support Fund.

I am also pleased to inform the Deputy that a €1m extension to the CSP Support Fund was approved to cover the period 1 July to 30 November 2021 to provide further assistance to those organisations considered most in need, in line with other Government Wage Support Schemes. This extension to the Support Fund is being administered on behalf of my Department by Pobal and eligibility will be determined based on the information available on the organisation’s financial position, as determined by Pobal and the Department. Pobal will administer payments to those deemed eligible under this extension of the CSP Support Fund over the coming weeks.

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