Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 701: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the progress in relation to the programme for Government commitment to continue to fully resource the Family Support Agency and its programmes of counselling, family resource centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29955/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Family Support Agency was established on 6 May 2003 and its mission is to promote family and community well being through the provision of appropriate supports and services to families. Funding for the Agency has increased from €17.28 million in 2003 to almost €36 million for 2009.

The main functions of the Agency include:

The Family and Community Services Resource Centre (FRC) Programme

The scheme of grants to voluntary organisations providing marriage, child and bereavement counselling and related services

The Family Mediation Service

The 2009 funding allocation includes over €18 million for the Family Resource Centre Programme, supporting 107 Family Resource Centres (FRCs) nationwide.

The Agency's Counselling Grants Scheme provides financial support 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.

In 2009, funding of over €11million is being granted to some 600 organisations. This includes funding of over €7.8 million for 29 major organisations who have been identified for multi-annual funding.

The Family Support Agency is responsible for the provision of family mediation to separating couples in Ireland. There are currently 16 family mediation centres throughout the country. Some 1,270 couples were assisted in 2008. Funding for the service in 2009 is over €3 million.