I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Frankie Feighan, to the House. Anois, tosóidh muid leis an Seanadóir Seán Kyne. Tá ceithre nóiméad aige.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. Tá mé buíoch as an deis seo a fháil inniu sa Seanad. Tá fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Feighan. The Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, is welcome to the Chamber today to discuss the issues of family resource centres and the need for one in Clifden and the north Connemara area. The Minister of State will be familiar with Galway and Connemara. It is a large area, geographically sparse with pockets of population in many different, remote areas of the community centred around the service town of Clifden. Family resource centres are hugely important in terms of their interventions and working with the disadvantaged and those in need. Oughterard presently serves the Connemara area. However, looking at the map of the country where there are 121 family resource centres, I believe there is a gap in the north Connemara-Clifden area for a dedicated family resource centre. This would provide family support and well-being services including one-to-one support parenting programmes, low-cost counselling and youth supports such as after-school programmes, holiday activities and targeted support for young people at risk. It would provide community development initiatives including groups for older people, carers and new communities. It would also offer practical supports such as information and advocacy to help people to become more sustainable and responsive to local needs. I believe a dedicated centre would be a perfect fit for Clifden providing a non-stigmatising walk-in hub where people could access support early, before issues escalate.

The Clifden-north Connemara area has some unique challenges in terms of precarious work linked to the hospitality and tourism area, which is impacted during the winter period. There are traditional industries such as farming and fishing which have their own challenges. There are some 523 households in council houses across Connemara, alongside sheltered and housing for older people and mental health service users. There are also 500 people on the live register including a growing number of those under the age of 25. Again, that may be linked to precarious employment. I believe this would be a perfect fit for a family resource centre to engage with the services and complement the services presently in Oughterard. What I am looking for is advice in terms of how we could progress this. What engagement is needed? What would be the pathway to developing a family resource centre in the area? Obviously, it is linked to budget but there also are practicalities in respect of the capital and current budget which would be important, as well as the know-how on how these issues are decided. What criteria are in place to decide where a new family resource centre would be established? What advice can the Minister of State's Department give in relation to establishing a family resource centre for the Clifden and north Connemara area?

I thank Senator Kyne for raising this important issue and giving me the opportunity to respond. In regard to family resource centres, I started my political career about 26 years ago through our family life centres. It was part of the outreach services of the family resource centres. The service they provide in every town, village and major city around the country is exceptional. Many times people came to my office with issues. We have certain skills but for the skills that I do not have it was reassuring to ring the family resource centre and put them in touch. They were professional and confidential every time. I know the work they did and I thank them for the great service they give.

Commissioning a new family resource centre is an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, which is responsible for day-to-day administration of the family resource centre programme. Neither the Minister nor the Department have any involvement in the assessment process for new members of the family resource centre programme or selecting the new members. The Senator rightly said that Connemara has a huge geographical spread and there is a gap there. I will take that back to the Minister.

There is a programme of Government commitment to work to increase funding and expand the capacity and network of family resource centres in budget 2026. This commitment will be honoured with funding secured for a further ten family resource centres. This has brought the family resource centre programme membership up to 126 members in 2026. It follows an increase in the membership of the programme in 2025 by five members. A comprehensive national application assessment process was undertaken in 2025 which was led by Tusla and independently chaired by a representative of the University of Limerick. A total of 49 organisations applied for membership of the family resource centre programme, following an open call from Tusla for applications.

This indicates again, as the Senator said, the strong level of interest in communities across the country in having family resource centres as part of their community infrastructure. Regrettably, funding only allowed for 15 new members to be selected, leaving 34 applications unsuccessful. I thank those organisations for their interest in joining the programme and for the important work they continue to do in their communities.

The benefits of community-based services such as family resource centres cannot be overstated and many of us will have witnessed at first hand the impacts family resource centres have on the communities they serve. They engage with vulnerable families, offer services to individuals across the whole life cycle from early years to senior citizens and, crucially, foster a positive and inclusive community spirit. The range of services they provide can be extensive as determined by the needs of the relevant communities. It is particularly important to note, and I think the Senator would agree, that many services are delivered at no cost or at low cost to families who otherwise might not be able to access them.

Also, by availing of funding schemes operated by other Government Departments and agencies, there is great potential for family resource centres to grow their scope and reach and further embed themselves in their communities. I understand there is currently no additional funding available to further expand the family resource centre programme in 2026. The Minister has previously indicated that she intends to continue to pursue the expansion of the FRC programme through the budgetary process and in line with the programme for Government commitment.

I will bring the Senator’s concerns back to the Minister. He certainly has outlined with great coherence the fact that this geographically widespread area needs another family resource centre to fill the gap there.

I thank the Minister of State on behalf of the Department of children for that comprehensive response and the important role Tusla has in evaluating and adjudicating on applications for new family resource centres. I welcome the fact that the Minister intends to pursue additional family resource centres in line with the programme for Government commitment. I will engage with Tusla following this to see what the local community in Clifden and north Connemara can do in advocating and pushing for a family resource centre.

The Minister of State quite rightly spoke of the benefits and importance in his own role, as all public representatives have, in engaging with family resource centres on behalf of vulnerable families who come across his office or clinic. I will certainly engage with Tusla and see if we can progress this issue for the benefit of the people in Clifden and north Connemara.

Once again, I thank the Senator for raising this very important issue. It is reassuring that the past two budgets have allowed for 50 new family resource centres to be established. We always want more and I think we need to do more. All those invested in seeing supports put in place for communities most in need should see these recent developments in the family resource centre programme as very good news.

The funding and expansion of services that assist people living in areas of disadvantage remain a priority for the Minister, for the Government and for all the services as well. Again, we need to work to increase funding and to expand the capacity and network of family resource centres. The Minister has signalled her intention to continue to pursue the development of the family resource centre programme over the lifetime of the Government and in recognition of the very important work these centres do in their communities. Organisations considering applying for future programme membership under an open call would be well served by examining the criteria associated with the 2025 open call, which would give them a sense of the type of preparation that is required to give an application the best possible chance at assessment stage.

I thank the Senator again for his contribution.