Kathleen Funchion
Question:711. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost of raising funding by 20% across the State to family resource centres. [24955/23]
View answerTuesday, 23 May 2023
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Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, administers the Family Resource Centre Programme, which provides funding support to 121 Family Resource Centres across the country. Tusla's financial support is provided by way of a contribution towards the running costs of the centres. Tusla does not provide capital funding to the Family Resource Centre Programme.
Currently, Tusla's annual core funding to these 121 Family Resource Centres, amounts to approximately €18m. For this to increase by 20% would cost an additional €3.6m annually.
The commissioning of Family Resource Centres is an operational matter for Tusla. Tusla's area managers engage in the commissioning process, and participate in meetings and discussions with community and voluntary agencies. Family Resource Centre funding is agreed annually, through Service Level Agreements with Tusla's commissioning team. Tusla continues to work hard in developing an effective, supportive and efficient relationship with all Family Resource Centres.
Other Government bodies and State agencies also provide substantial funding to Family Resource Centres, to deliver services on their behalf. Tusla also provides additional, specific supports to Family Resource Centres, for example through funding aimed at supporting FRCs to deliver services in response to pressures arising from Covid-19 or in its supporting children and families arriving in Ireland from Ukraine. In recent years, Tusla has also secured €1m in Dormant Accounts funding (2020-2022) for Family Resource Centres, and similar funding levels are being provided in 2023 from my Department.
Tusla continues to work with Family Resource Centres and other community-based family support organisations, to best meet the needs of vulnerable children, families and communities.