Galway members were among the representatives of the nationwide network of family resources centres who travelled to Dublin last week to urged the Government to put community at the heart of its upcoming Budget.

Representatives from the Family Resource Centres National Forum met with members of the Oireachtas at a briefing event in Buswells Hotel to urge them to adequately fund community services in Galway – and across the country – so that they can provide the level of support services that are desperately needed in local communities.

CEO of the FRCNF Fergal Landy, the Labour candidate in the recent Euro elections who lives in Oranmore, presented their pre-Budget shopping list to elected representatives.

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.

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.

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.

“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 Galway 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,” said Mr Landy.

“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,” he added.

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 – as well as the involvement of FRCs in the decision-making process, when the programme is expanded to ensure alignment to the existing FRC programme approach.

“We are calling on Government to commit to long-term funding so that we can plan for the future, invest in full-time practitioners and ensure that appropriate therapeutic supports are consistently available for families when they need it most,” said Mr Landy.

“We are also aware that Government is considering increasing the number of FRCs in 2025, however, we urge that the current funding issues be addressed before adding new centres to the programme,” he added.

Pictured: Galway East Deputy Seán Canney (second right) with Fergal Landy CEO of FRCNF; Louise Moran, Boyle FRC, and Mary Jackson, Tacu Ballinrobe FRC, at the launch of the Family Resource Centre National Forum’s pre-Budget submission in Buswells Hotel.