Mary Harney
Question:17 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform the additional funding which may be made available for mediation and counselling services in 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24675/96]
Written Answers. - Family Mediation Service.
Ivor Callely
Question:56 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform if he is satisfied that the family mediation service is adequately resourced to meet the demands on the service; the issues, if any, the family mediation service has brought to his attention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24747/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 and 56 together.
The Family Mediation Service, operated by my Department, is a professional confidential service which enables couples, who have decided to separate or who have already separated, to negotiate their own separation agreement with the help of a mediator, without resorting to adjudication through the courts. All issues are included in the negotiations, such as ongoing parenting of the children, the family home, family finances, pensions, property and any other issues relevant to the separation.
Funding to the Family Mediation Service has more than doubled since 1993 from £124,000 to a current level of £300,000. This amount is also being made available in 1997, which will enable the Family Mediation Service to continue the programme for development and expansion of the service which is at an advanced stage.
As part of this programme for development and expansion two new posts of area mediation co-ordinator have been created, one for the existing centre in Dublin and one for the new centre in Limerick. An appointment has recently been made to the Limerick centre and an appointment to the Dublin centre is being processed. The persons appointed to these posts will be responsible for the delivery of a quality mediation service and will also facilitate the establishment of a scheme for the use of private mediators in private practice to provide family mediation at locations distant from a family mediation centre.
All of the above are issues which have been raised by the familty mediation service who are aware of my commitment to providing a professional service to people who are experiencing difficulties in their marriages.
On my appointment as Minister for Equality and Law Reform I instituted a scheme of grants for voluntary organisations which provide marriage counselling services, and my Department commenced funding these organisations in 1994. Prior to then grants to these organisations were administered by the Departments of Health and Social Welfare. In 1993 approximately £300,000 was allocated by these Departments to the voluntary organisations. In each of the years 1994 and 1995 my Department paid out £750,000 in grants. In 1996 it paid out £900,000. A similar amount has been made available for this purpose for 1997. The scheme was extended in 1996 to include the provision of assistance to organisations providing counselling to children whose parents have separated.