€35k Extra Funding For Greystones Family Resource Centre

The GFRC gang SAT20AUG22

atest press release from Cllr Lourda Scott, issued on Monday. April 29th 2024…

The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, today announced €1.5m additional funding for Family Resource Centres, with a new core funding level of €160,000 for Family Resource Centres (FRCs).

This will benefit 54 FRCs around the country, including in Greystones where the FRC will receive €35,189.

The purpose of the allocation is to bring the core funding of these FRCs to a new base level of €160,000 in 2025 and provide additional funding to the lowest-funded FRCs before the end of this year. This funding will allow the FRCs to increase their staffing complements in some cases, and it will support the pivotal role FRCs play in so many communities across the country by providing a comprehensive range of services tailored to individual community needs.

Welcoming the news, Greystones Councillor Lourda Scott said: “This is great news for the Greystones Family Resource which serves the communities of Greystones, Delgany, Newtownmountkennedy, Kilcoole and Newcastle. This increase in funding will strengthen services provided to our communities and provide a positive impact for families, individuals and children who benefit from the Family Resource centre. I have met with the staff in the Resource Centre many times and have seen first hand the work that they do.

“I am delighted that the importance of this work is being acknowledged by an increase in funding. This is an important step towards a more sustainable funding model for the future.”

Minister O’Gorman said: “I have personally witnessed the positive impact FRCs have on communities and the vast range of work they do, and am delighted to be in a position to increase the core funding levels of these FRCs. I know that this has been a long-standing request of FRCs. These increases are on top of the WRC agreement reached in October 2023. The increases I am announcing today will take effect in 2024 and will ensure that from next year onwards no FRC will receive less than €160,000 in core funding from my Department.

“This allocation will combat the increased costs some FRCs have faced and aid in expanding service provision. Any future increases to core funding across the programme will build off this new level.

“The increases will be paid to the centres by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.”