Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, provides funding to counselling services through a network of community-based counselling service providers and Family Resource Centres that offer a range of counselling/psychotherapy and supports. This funding is provided where there is a genuine need and demand for services and where they can be provided at low cost to adults, couples, children, young people and families.
While this Department provides the overall budget for Tusla, the amount that Tusla has budgeted specifically for counselling services in 2021 is a part of Tusla's own budgetary process. Therefore, I have asked Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy as this is an operational matter for Tusla.