I propose to take Questions Nos. 1009, 1010 and 1012 together.
Tusla Family Support Service Counselling is delivered via commissioned community and voluntary sector organisations. In 2021, funding was allocated to 225 organisations around Ireland to deliver these services, including 90 Family Resource Centres. Tusla expenditure on Family Support Service Counselling was €6,798,000 in 2021. The FSS Counselling Budget will benefit by a 4% increase in 2023.
Family Support Service Counselling includes support to bereaved parents following the death of their child. This support is not restricted to parents who are bereaved of their child under the age of one year old.
Bereavement services funded that specifically support parents bereaved of a child or children include Firstlight and Anam Cara.
FirstLight’s range of services includes home visits where a newly bereaved family is offered a visit to their home by a professional therapist, one-to-one counselling, couples therapy, support groups with other bereaved parents; and adolescent counselling or play therapy for siblings. It is a national service with a network of therapists across Ireland and also offers a national 24-hour service helpline. Tusla funding for 2023 will be approximately €85,000.
Anam Cara operates monthly face-to-face and online support groups for bereaved parents that focus on peer support but are facilitated by a trained professional. Groups operate across Ireland. Anam Cara also offers bereavement support evenings which provide talks that focus on parental grief. In 2022 Tusla supported training offered by Anam Cara to community-based counselling/ psychotherapy Services focused on parental grief to support referrals by Anam Cara to counselling/psychotherapy services where parents may require one-to-one support. Tusla funding for 2023 will be approximately €22,000.
Other services funded by Tusla that also support bereaved parents include Bethany Bereavement Support, the Miscarriage Association of Ireland and A Little Lifetime Foundation. Tusla also funds a number of services that are focused on supporting children and their families, including following the death of a siblings. These include Rainbows Ireland, Barnardos Children’s Bereavement Service and the Irish Childhood Bereavement Network.