Vol. 561 No. 4
474 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when she expects to make available grants for family resource and information centres; and the terms and conditions which will be applicable to area and parish groups which may wish to apply for same. [4374/03]
The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is responsible for the administration of the scheme of grants to community development and family support groups.
Under the scheme, grants are available to a range of locally based organisations and groups including family support and community development groups, women's and men's groups, lone parents support and self-help groups, Travellers' groups and the local co-ordinating organisations that support their work.
Invitations to apply for funding under the 2003 scheme of grants to community development and family support groups will be advertised by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in the national and local newspapers later in the year.
Under the family and community services resource centre programme my Department provides core funding on a three year basis to local family resource centres throughout the country. At present there are 86 local FRCs included in the programme. This year the Government has provided some €6.8 million for their development.
The family resource centre programme is one of a number of family programmes and services which will be administered in future by the Family Support Agency.
