Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 October 2004
256 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the amount provided in the Estimates for the family services project in 2003; the amount expended in 2003; the difference between the two figures; the reason for such a difference; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26410/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe family services project, FSP, operated by my Department is designed to provide a high quality information service on the range of supports available to families from State agencies and from the community and voluntary sector with a particular emphasis on the services available locally. The project also provides information and customer referrals to the recently established family support agency.
Within the project, an enhanced programme of support is available to a small group of customers with particular needs, for example, very young lone mothers, other parents rearing children without the support of a partner and dependent spouses in households with children dependent on social welfare payments.
Three pilot projects were originally established in Cork, Waterford and Finglas. Following this initial phase, the Government allocated €15,236,858, £12 million, over the period 2000 to 2006 in the national development plan for the progressive expansion of the successful elements of the project, €1,269,738, £1 million, in each of the years 2000 and 2001 and €2,539,476, £2 million, per year thereafter. An independent evaluation of the project, which was published in October 2000, recommended that the project be rolled out to six additional locations. Since then, rollout has been extended to all ten of my Department's regions. The final two projects were established during the course of 2003.
In 2003, €1,466,113 was expended under the family services project. This level of expenditure represents a 60% increase on 2002 spend in the Border, midland and western regional operational programme area and a 32% increase in the southern and eastern regional operational programme area. The under spend was due primarily to the time necessary for the establishment and embedding of the family services project in any area. A high degree of engagement and preparatory work is required in advance of the submission of formal funding applications. Work is continuing on the expansion of FSP activities to ensure a broader geographic spread of programmes, thus enhancing service delivery and accelerating the anticipated uptake of the service. In addition, a significant amount of work, which necessitates no specific drawdown of FSP funds, is being performed by those of my staff involved in the project. Good progress has also been made in the development of enhanced links with statutory and voluntary organisations at a local level and I anticipate that this should result in increased FSP expenditure in the future.
