Vol. 492 No. 5
58 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if the Government has considered the report of the Commission on the Family; if the recommendations made by the Commission have been accepted by the Government; the timetable, if any, set for their implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14345/98]
The final report of the Commission of the Family, Strengthening Families for Life, contains a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the issues affecting families and wide-ranging recommendations across several different policy areas.
The recommendations contained in the report will be fully considered in the context of developing coherent progressive and effective policies for families as promised in the programme for Government, An Action Programme for the Millennium.
The Government is committed to adopting a families first approach by putting the family at the centre of all its policies. In line with this commitment and in response to recommendations from the commission the Government has established a new family affairs unit in the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs and has provided an additional £2.75 million for the development of family services in my Department. This includes: £700,000 for a network of family and community services resource centres; an extra £600,000 for support for marriage counselling services and an extra £600,000, for the expansion of the Family Mediation Service.
