Sir, - I wish to point out the huge discrepancy between Government assurances of support for marriages and relationships at the time of the Divorce Referendum and the subsequent non increase in resources to organisations such as ours engaged in the care of marriages and relationships.
The Revised Estimates for Public Services 1997 make compelling reading. An example of Government priorities is the 1997 allocation to Bord na gCon. The original figure of £2.6 million for 1997 has now been increased to £3.2 million representing an increase of 26 per cent for the same period. It is not even the level of grants to bodies such as The Arts Council (increased by 14 per cent), the National Monuments and Historical Properties (increased by 30 percent) or indeed the televising of Dail proceedings which went from a staggering £1.2 million up to £1.3 million in 1997 - a rate of increase of 12 per cent. The level of increase contrasts shamefully with the lack of increase for marriage counselling and child counselling services for 1995, 1996, 1997. Approximately 80 counselling services were granted £750,000 to be divided between them in 1995 - the same services with child counselling included were allocated £900,000 in 1996; in 1997 the figure of £900,000 stands. No percentage increase appears at all in the 1997 estimates.
According to MRCS clients, 7.9 per cent believed that their relationship had improved as a result of counselling, along with 81 per cent who solved a particular problem in the process through counselling. These evaluations were measured by the responses to the questionaires piloted by Ms Yvonne Jacobson of MRCS Research Department and are solid evidence of the effectiveness of counselling.
I call on the Government to support rather than exploit the voluntary professional contribution of members of organisations such as MRCS whose vision is to develop comprehensive, non denominational marriage and relationship counselling services, available to all in this country regardless of geographical location or means. - Yours, etc.,
Chief Executive Officer,
Marriage and Relationship
Counselling Services
Grafton St.,
Dublin 2.