Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 24 Oct 2001

Vol. 542 No. 6

Written Answers. - Departmental Correspondence.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

251 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he has received correspondence from a community development agency (details supplied) in County Kildare; if so, if he will reconsider the contents of this correspondence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25428/01]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern):

I have received correspondence from the community development agency in question. This regional support agency is funded by my Department to work with community development projects and family resource centres in the Wicklow/Kildare/Meath area. The Family Support Agency Bill was published on 13 July 2001 and is at present before Dáil Éireann.

The new agency will bring together the main programmes and pro-family services introduced in recent years in line with the Government's "Families First" approach – to support families, promote continuity and stability in family life and prevent marital breakdown and foster a supportive community environment for families at local level. Some £12 million has been allocated this year by the Government for the development of family services in the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs.

The Family Support Agency will: provide a family mediation service; support, promote and develop the provision of marriage and relationship counselling, and other family support services; support, promote and develop the family and community services resource centre programme; provide information on these services and parenting issues; and undertake research and advise me as Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs about family matters.

Thus the Family Support Agency will provide a comprehensive and coherent response for families in need of these services and for families generally. The legislative initiative will involve the transfer of these schemes and programmes from the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs to the new agency, which reports to the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs. It is my view and that of the Government that the establishment of the Family Support Agency affords the opportunity to bring coherence into this complex area.

The Family Support Agency will be an important resource to the work of Family Resource Centres, enhancing the role and capacity of these local community initiatives in responding to the needs of families at neighbourhood level.

The regional support agency in question is one of a number of support agencies which has been invited to meet officials of the Department to discuss these details and the matters raised in their letter to you. To date, the organisation has not been in a position to take up this invitation. However, I understand that further contact has been made with the support agency and it is hoped that they will be in a position to respond to the invitation to meet officials at an early date.