Michael Bell
Question:38 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if ACCORD has been provided with extra funding to further develop its marriage counselling services. [6416/99]
Vol. 501 No. 5
38 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if ACCORD has been provided with extra funding to further develop its marriage counselling services. [6416/99]
Increased investment in marriage counselling services to support their work in preventing marital breakdown is an important objective of the Government. This year £2.1 million has been provided for voluntary organisations providing marriage and child counselling in relation to parental separation. This compares to an allocation of £900,000 in 1997. Last year £1.5 million was provided and in late 1998 I secured sanction to extend the scheme to cover courses on marriage preparation and bereavement counselling and support services for families on the death of a family member.
An amount of £643,500 was allocated to ACCORD centres in 1998 for marriage and child counselling and a further £56,150 was allocated for marriage preparation courses. In 1997, I am advised that ACCORD received a total of £522,500.