Family resource centres are funded under the family and community services resource centre, FRC, programme which is administered by the family support agency. The aim of the FRC programme is essentially to help combat disadvantage by improving the function of the family unit. The emphasis in the centres is on the involvement of local communities in developing approaches to tackle the problems they face and on creating successful partnerships between the voluntary and statutory agencies in the area concerned. Family resource centres involve people from marginalised and most vulnerable groups and areas of disadvantage at all levels in the project.
In 2005, I have made almost €25 million available to the family support agency to fulfil its strategic priorities. These include the expansion of the national family mediation service, the continuing development of the scheme of grants for voluntary organisations providing marriage, child and bereavement counselling services and the ongoing promotion and development of the family and community services resource centre, FRC, programme, to which I specifically allocated over €10.5 million for the current year.
This amount includes a specific allocation of €200,000 toward capital grants to projects in the programme. This is the first year that a grant for capital funding has been allocated to the programme. Annual core funding to projects in the programme includes an amount towards the rental costs of premises.
There are currently 77 family resource centres in receipt of core funding, with another 12 centres to be brought into the programme during this year. I fully expect that the target of 100 centres by the end of 2006, set under the national development plan, will be achieved by the family support agency.