Minister wants more breakdown intervention services

The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Mary Coughlan, has said she would like to see a greater role for conciliation services in dealing with marriage breakdown.

The Minister was speaking in Dublin Castle, where she hosted an EU Conference on European Family policy.

Minister Coughlan told the Conference that changing lifestyles in recent years have put enormous pressure on the family.

The Minister said a greater role for conciliation is required to assist those who find themselves in an unpleasant marriage breakdown.

“My view is that I would like to increase the role of conciliation through the mediation service, where we take away the acrimony from marital breakdowns and relationship breakdowns.

"That is why I have provided this year’s funding for a mediation service in the midlands and a mediation service in the mid west.”