Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 16 Nov 1999

Vol. 510 No. 6

Written Answers. - Family Support Services.

Jim O'Keeffe

Question:

330 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of people who have availed of the family mediation service in each of the years from 1997 to date; the number and location of offices; and the facilities, if any, available to those living in rural areas. [23251/99]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern):

The family mediation service offers a free and confidential service to couples who have decided to separate, helping them to resolve in a non-adversarial way the issues which arise on the breakdown of a marriage.

The nationwide expansion of the family mediation service is a priority objective in the programme for Government An Action Programme for the Millennium. This commitment has been delivered in two years since this Government came into office. The Government has increased funding for the service from £300,000 in 1997, £900,000 in 1998 and to £1.2 million in 1999 and the number of centres providing services has been increased from two – in Dublin and Limerick – to nine in that time. New regional centres have been established to serve people living in the south, south west, south east, midlands, north east and the west of the country. It is planned to open a centre in the North West before the end of the year. The Dublin service has been expanded and relocated to larger premises to deal with an increased number of couples and to take on additional trainee mediators. A new service for the people of Tallaght was officially opened in June 1999.

Details of the locations of the centres are set out in the following table.

The major expansion of the service has been accompanied by a dramatic increase in the numbers of couples seeking mediation. In 1997, 484 couples were assisted by the service. This number rose to 684 couples in 1998 and has further increased this year with some 779 couples seeking assistance up to September 1999. Access to family mediation has been radically improved for people living outside Dublin and Limerick, including those living in rural areas, with the establishment of the new regional centres over the past two years. The Government is committed to the further development of the family mediation service so that couples facing separation are aware of the benefits of family mediation and have access to the service at a critical time in their relationships wherever they live in the country.

The establishment of the family mediation service on a statutory basis is a key priority in the reviewed An Action Programme for the Millennium announced last week. The following is the table:

Family Mediation Service List of Offices

Family Mediation Service, 1st Floor, St. Stephen's Green House, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2. Phone: [phone].

Family Mediation Service, 1st Floor, Mill House, Henry Street, Limerick. Phone: [phone].

Family Mediation Service, Hibernian House, 80A South Mall, Cork. Phone: [phone].

Family Mediation Service, 1st Floor, Ross House, Merchant's Road, Galway. Phone: [phone].

Family Mediation Service, c/o CIC, St. Mary's Square, Athlone, County Westmeath. Phone: [phone].

Family Mediation Service, 3 Seatown Place, Dundalk, County Louth. Phone: [phone].

Family Mediation Service, Tallaght Social Services Centre, The Square, Dublin 24. Phone: [phone].

Family Mediation Service, c/o Kerry Family Resource & Counselling Centre, Balloonagh, Tralee, County Kerry. Phone: [phone].

Family Mediation Service, Distillery Road, Wexford. Phone: [phone].