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At the launch of the Family Resource Centre National Forum’s pre-Budget submission in Buswells Hotel were Fergal Landy CEO of FRCNF; Michael Healy Rae TD; and Jackie Landers, Listowel FRC.
REPRESENTATIVES from Listowel Family Resource Centre met with members of the Oireachtas at a briefing event in Buswells Hotel, Dublin, to urge them to adequately fund community services in Kerry in this year’s Budget, so that they can provide the level of support services that are desperately needed in local communities.
The event was run by the Family Resource Centre National Forum, the national representative body for Family Resource Centres, to officially launch its Budget 2025 submission.
The Family Resource Centre programme is the largest community-based family support programme in Ireland. Through a network of 121 FRCs, it supports families in communities experiencing poverty and disadvantage.
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The primary call on Government as part of the submission, is for an increase in core funding for all 121 FRCs, to €240,000.
Earlier this year, Minister Roderic O’Gorman raised the minimum level of core funding to €160,000 per FRC.
At the launch of the Family Resource Centre National Forum’s pre-Budget submission in Buswells Hotel were Jackie Landers, Listowel FRC; and Pa Daly TD
However, this figure was identified six years ago as the basic level of funding for new FRCs. For Budget 2025, the FRCNF has identified the required level of funding per FRC as €240,000, for them to be able to adequately provide the services required of them.
Commenting on their pre-Budget submission, Fergal Landy, CEO of the FRCNF said, “Budget 2025 will be a key opportunity for Government to maximise the potential of the FRC National Programme to increase its capacity to deliver for children, families, individuals, and communities in Kerry and throughout Ireland, and in doing so, provide additional supports to communities coping with many challenges such as the housing crisis, poverty, the cost of living, and integrating new communities. But this cannot be achieved without adequate funding for our 121 FRCs.
“The current level of funding of €160,000 per FRC is intended to cover the salary of three full-time staff members, operational costs and the running of services in the centre. This is just not realistic nor sustainable. The shortfall in core funding is leading to a recruitment and retention crisis of suitable, qualified staff and difficulties in maintaining appropriate premises to deliver the high quality supports our FRCs have become known for.”
In addition to the increase in core funding, the FRCNF is also calling for no new Family Resource Centres, until the funding of existing FRCs is addressed and involvement of FRCs in the decision-making process, when the programme is expanded to ensure alignment to the existing FRC programme approach.
They all call for the Government to ensure consistent, long-term funding for counselling and therapeutic supports in FRCs nationwide and to develop and introduce a dedicated capital funding stream for FRCs.
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