Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 89: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will expand on his recent comments made at the ACCORD conference in Ballyconnell, County Cavan. [11041/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I was pleased to be asked to make the closing address to the recent ACCORD conference in Ballyconnell, County Cavan. In my address to the conference, I referred to the fact that ACCORD is now working in a very different environment than was the case back in the early 1960s when it was founded. Today, there are many differing views and attitudes to marriage and cohabitation while births outside marriage, separation and divorce are commonplace. ACCORD has had to adjust with the times and credit is due for the successful manner in which it has achieved this, with services now available "to all who need them regardless of denomination, race, creed or ability to pay".

Despite these changing times, statistics show that marriage is on the increase, with over 20,000 marriages taking place here annually, and is still seen by the majority of people as their preferred choice in terms of both their futures and creating a stable and just society.

I also reiterated my Departments support, through the Family Support Agency, for ACCORD. Last year ACCORD received funding of €2.75 million under the scheme of grants to voluntary organisations providing marriage, child and bereavement counselling, which was almost one-third of the total funding available. Research evidence from both at home and abroad is highlighting the potential of marriage and relationships counselling services in assisting couples coping with difficulties and in helping them to build better relationships. I have been happy to continue to develop the counselling sector by providing funding directly to groups providing professional counselling services to support families and enhance family life.