Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 348: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her views, in view of the increasing strain on counselling services for families in County Wicklow, on extending the recently announced grant scheme for counselling services to a centre (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5793/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Family Support Agency provides funding through a Scheme of Grants to voluntary and community organisations providing marriage and relationship counselling, marriage preparation courses, child counselling in relation to parental separation and bereavement counselling and support on the death of a family member. The focus of the scheme is on the development of support services in the community for families to enhance stability in family life and to assist families and their m embers deal with difficult circumstances, which they may experience.

Over €11m was made available under the Scheme for 2008 and 600 organisations received funding. The budget for the Counselling Grants Scheme in 2009 is €11.89m. A press release was issued to the national press in November 2008, while a letter issued directly to organisations that had previously received funding. It was also advertised on the website of the Family Support Agency.

There have been almost 590 applications. Last year 24 groups in Wicklow received funding totalling almost €125,000. No application for funding has been received from the organisation referred to by the Deputy.

As part of the overall budget of €11.89m to support counselling services, funding of over €7.8m for 29 major organisations (including Accord and MRCS) who have been identified for multi-annual funding was recently announced. The balance of applications for funding are currently being processed and there will be a further announcement on funding for these in the coming months.

It is open to individuals who feel in need of counselling support to approach their local service provider. A guide to local organisations providing counselling and support can be found on the Family Support Agency's website at http://www.fsa.ie/supportdirectory/sfdir_06.pdf