Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 March 2022
39. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children who received a family support service in the Tusla Louth Meath area in 2021; the Tusla family support provision and the commissioned community and voluntary sector partners in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15374/22]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency, provides family support services both directly and by commissioning family support services through its community and voluntary sector partners.
In 2021, funding of €2,563,709.57 was provided to 19 family support services in the Tusla Louth Meath area. These 19 organisations are:
1. Cox's Demense Youth & Community Project
2. Crann Support Group
3. Dundalk Counselling Centre
4. Empowerment Plus
5. EXTERN
6. Ifca/Irish Fostercare Association North East Region
7. ISPCC
8. Lifestyle Moving On
9. Navan Springboard (Meath Springboard)
10. Barnardos
11. Daughters Of Charity
12. Navan Travellers Workshop
13. Women's Aid Dundalk Ltd.
14. Drogheda Lifestart
15. Youth Advocate Programmes
16. Connect FRC
17. Kells Family Resource Centre CLG
18. Trim Family Resource Centre Ltd
19. Louth Leader Partnership (GENESIS)
Child and Family Support Networks (CFSNs) are collaborative networks of community, voluntary and statutory providers established by Tusla to improve access to support services for children and their families. Each network consists of services that play a role in the lives of children and families in that area. There are two CFSNs in Co. Louth and two in Co. Meath.
Tusla also directly supports family support services through structures including Family Resource Centres (FRCs) and the Area Based Childhood Programme.
€643,331 was provided to the Louth Leader Partnership (GENESIS) for prevention and early intervention services for children and families under the Area Based Childhood Programme.
In 2021, €572,808 was allocated to four FRCs in the Louth Meath area in core funding under the Family Resource Centre Programme. These four FRCs were:
1. Connect Family Resource Centre (€152,090.00)
2. Kells FRC (€118,328.00)
3. Trim FRC (€142,390.00)
4. Crann Support Group CLG/ East Coast FRC (€160,000.00)
Overall in Louth/Meath, 1,509 children received a family support service in 2021.
