Vol. 393 No. 8
asked the Minister for Justice, having regard to the statutory provision under the Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act, 1989, placing an onus on a solicitor acting in a family law matter to discuss mediation in an effort to overcome difficulties, if his attention has been drawn to the inadequate mediation services available throughout the country; and the steps he proposes to take to have such services expanded to meet community needs.
136.
asked the Minister for Justice if he will outline his proposals in regard to the future structures of the family mediation service; and the plans, if any, he has to extend it outside of Dublin to other parts of the country.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 135 and 136 together.
The family mediation services available consist of the State's pilot scheme and services provided privately. The State family mediation service was set up in 1986 as a three-year pilot scheme and the steering committee of the service have submitted their report to me on the effectiveness of that pilot scheme. As I indicated in reply to Dáil Questions Nos. 26, 29 and 84 on the 9 November, I will not be in a position to comment on the future of the service until I have completed my examination of the report. I consider that a number of wider issues need to be examined before decisions are reached on the long term future of the service.
In the meantime there is a provision in the 1990 Estimates to allow the family mediation service to continue in operation, at least in its present form.
