Dismay in north-west Mayo at outcome of Erris FRC application
Erris Family and Community Support Centre CLG have expressed 'disappointment and dismay' at the outcome of their recent FRC application.
The voluntary board of management applied for admission to the National Family Resource Centre Programme in May. On Friday last, the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, announced the establishment of five new Family Resource Centres (FRCs) in Dublin, Monaghan, Louth, Kildare and Galway as part of the expansion of the Tusla National Programme for 2025.
“While we welcome the addition of new FRCs and are pleased for the new communities that are going to benefit, we are extremely disappointed and surprised by the outcome of our application. Significant time and effort went into the application, and we are confident in the quality and standard of what was submitted, in that it strongly met the criteria outlined and demonstrated very clearly the need locally, as well as our capacity to deliver as an FRC,” explained Erris Family and Commuinty Support Centre chairperson Rosaleen Lally.
The voluntary board of management and local community have been campaigning for an FRC in Erris since 2019 following a narrowly unsuccessful application in 2018. As part of that round, three new FRCs were funded in the region, and the Erris application came fourth.
That application was submitted by the Irish Wheelchair Association and supported by local Tusla. The feedback at that time was that the project needed be locally driven with more localised research.
The board have now progressed well beyond these recommendations. In 2022, on foot of a dedicated campaign, the Tusla CEO, Bernard Gloster, acknowledging the compelling and professional case made by the local steering committee, approved core funding to establish a Family and Community Support Service. The organisation is now a registered company, working to key goals as part of a strategic plan, with a staff team in place delivering services, supports and projects in the community.
Coordinator Leanne Barrett commented: “The acute needs in Erris remain the same, and they are undeniable, as is the significant barrier of distance from other services in the county. We appreciate that there was limited scope, with funding for just five new FRCs, but considering the long-standing campaign, the consistent hard work of the community and voluntary board, and the obvious needs, we are quite disheartened by this decision.
“We remain committed and will continue to do the work, support children, young people and families, and meet the needs in our community, but admission to the FRC programme has always been our goal.”
COMPREHENSIVE
A comprehensive national application and assessment process was undertaken, led by Tusla and independently chaired by a representative of the University of Limerick. All applications were reviewed and scored against the clearly defined and published criteria, including population need, level of deprivation, child population data, existing service provision, and existing service gaps.
With this latest expansion, the number of Family Resource Centres will increase from 121 to 126. There is a commitment in the programme for government to expand the capacity and network of Family Resource Centres going forward over the lifetime of government.
The Erris Family and Community Support Centre voluntary board of management have requested detailed feedback and a breakdown of scores against the specified criteria. A comprehensive socio-economic profile was prepared as part of the centre’s application and the deprivation indicators for the Erris region are high, with unemployment, lone parenthood, and an ageing population reflective of long-standing inequalities.
In addition, most family and social services are located over 70 kilometres away and the nearest FRC is located in the town of Ballina, putting the area in a significant service blackspot. While the natural environment and strong community networks are local strengths, there is a pressing need for targeted investment in services, education, employment and infrastructure to address systemic disadvantage.
In announcing the the expansion of the FRC programme last Friday, Fergal Landy, CEO of the FRC National Forum, stated: “The sheer number of applications from groups seeking to be added to the FRC programme indicates the level of demand for additional FRCs across the country.
“Groups can see the opportunity and potential impact that having an FRC in their community will deliver and understandably want their community to benefit. We share the desire to broaden the reach of our programme but its critical we do this in a sustainable manner and not neglect the need to address the core funding of existing and new FRCs together.
“That’s why we are calling on government to address on key budget asks in parallel with expanding the programme.”