David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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391. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is concerned that there is no family resource centre serving the people of Dungarvan and west Waterford; and the steps his Department will take to address this issue. [38739/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I wish to inform the Deputy that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency administers the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme, which supports 121 FRCs throughout the country. My Department allocates core funding for the FRC Programme through Tusla, which has advised my Department that the current level of funding is to sustain existing services operating in the FRC Programme.

I can inform the Deputy that at present there are no plans to expand membership of the FRC Programme given the available funding. The commissioning of Family Resource Centres is an operational matter for Tusla, and subject to availability of funding.

However, building on my announcement of the funding equalisation scheme in April, it is my intention to seek funding in Budget 2025 to increase the numbers of FRCs. Any expansion of the Programme will, however, be dependent on the success of my Budget negotiations.

A central feature of the FRC programme is the involvement of local people in identifying needs and developing needs-led responses. Organisations that wish to join the Family Resource Centre Programme are advised to contact Tusla in the first instance to highlight their interest in the Programme. As you will appreciate, the Tusla National Commissioning Office receive frequent requests to become members of the Family Resource Centre Programme from organisations in various parts of the country. In the event the Family Resource Centre Programme is expanded the Tusla Area Commissioning Plan will be a critical contribution to the decision-making process. Tusla’s aim is to utilise the total resources available to it in the most efficient, equitable, proportionate and sustainable way in order to improve outcomes for children, young people, and families.