Heydon chasing more family resource centre funds

The needs for County Kildare with its increased population 'will be considered' by Minister for Children Katherine Zappone when decisions are being made about allocation of additional Family Resource Centre funds, writes Brian Byrne.

The acknowledgement of the strong demand for services in the county was made in a reply to recent parliamentary questions from Deputy Martin Heydon on the issue. Deputy Heydon had raised the need for more Family Resource Centres in Kildare.

"For our growing population we are severely under-represented in terms of the number of family resource centres," he says, "with only two in the whole county — in Newbridge and the Curragh — when others such as Donegal and Kerry have nine and 12 respectively. We are playing catch up here and I have been stressing this point to the Minister."

Deputy Heydon says he will fight for resources to be provided to facilities such as Teach Dara in Kildare Town, and for the case to be progressed for family resource centres in towns like Athy, Castledermot and Rathangan.