Vol. 462 No. 5
114 Mr. Flood asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform if he has received an application for funding from the Marriage Counselling Service Limited; if he intends to provide funding to this organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4926/96]
Marriage Counselling Service Limited (MCS) received assistance from my Department in 1994 and in 1995 under the scheme of grants to voluntary marriage counselling organisations, which I initiated in 1994.
On 16 February 1996, my private secretary replied to a letter received from the chief executive of MCS, which enclosed a pre-budget submission seeking funding for its teen-between counselling service. In that reply the chief executive was informed that the funds available to my Department under the scheme of grants to voluntary marriage counselling organisations have been increased in 1996 and include an element in respect of children's counselling. She was also informed that, for the first time, it will be open to MCS to apply to my Department for financial assistance for both marriage counselling and children's counselling.
Application forms for grant aid, under the expanded scheme of grants to voluntary counselling organisations, will issue shortly from my Department and applicant organisations which satisfy the criteria of the scheme will receive grant aid in 1996 towards the cost of providing approved counselling services.
