Appeal for further family support services in Mayo district

The chief executive of Tusla has underlined his support for the development of further family support services in north Mayo.

Bernard Gloster was responding to an appeal by Mayo TD Alan Dillon.

The Castlebar-based representative called for a needs analysis and assessment in respect of local responsiveness to an area of Mayo that has been neglected in terms of services.

"The Erris region, which covers a vast number of communities, is in urgent need.

"The Family Resource Centre there is, basically, looking for resources from Castlebar which is more that 50 miles and one hour away.

"Is there a strategy around the Family Resource Centre (FRC) programme, how it can be enhanced and how it can be ensured that it is reasonably balanced and that communities in desperate need of services are looked after?" asked Deputy Dillon.

Speaking at an Oireachtas committee, Mr. Gloster said when when Tusla looks at the FRC programme, it does not look at it isolation and ask who has one and who does not.

He elaborated: "We look at the context of the full resource we are funding in any one area.

"In some areas it could be another organisation that is not in the FRC programme but doing quite similar, if not the same, work.

"We also look at the volume of our own staff in that area. This year we drew a line across what services are in place, and determined that what exists, exists.

"We now have to look at how we can bring everyone up to the same level.

"In County Mayo, there is an excellent child protection, welfare and children in care service, which has been judged repeatedly so by HIQA, and there are some very good aspects.

"However, we must try to support the area manager there, and indeed, those on the western, southeastern and southern seaboards, to develop more family support services.

"If the best solution happens to be an FRC programme, we are not closed to the idea.

"However, we are not pursuing a specific initiative singly focused on family resource centres. We are focusing on the broader definition of family support services.

"I would love to see the local authority in Mayo and other organisations coming together where they have interests in areas of disadvantage, and perhaps create a centre of a type.

"I would be very happy for us to fund, support and seek additional funding to put family support staff and services into such a centre.

"If it happens to end up being a family resource centre or something else, that is secondary, in my view, to the point of getting services into the area."