Some 540 voluntary groups, working with families in distress, are to benefit from funding increases totalling €8.3 million, the Minister for Social Affairs, Séamus Brennan, has announced.
Mr Brennan said the funding would go to groups providing marriage counselling, marriage preparation, child counselling and bereavement counselling.
"These grants demonstrate the Government's continued commitment to offering practical assistance to help families at particularly stressful periods." He said the groups were helping "to enhance family stability".
The allocation means already established groups will get more money while 20 groups will get funding for the first time.
Marriage counselling accounts for 58 per cent of this year's funding, bereavement counselling for 18 per cent, child counselling 14 per cent and marriage preparation 10 per cent.
A spokesman for the Minister said the policy objectives which inform funding allocations, are "continued investment in the established major providers of services so that they can consolidate their lead role in the provision of high quality counselling services".
Funding was also aimed at ensuring a national network of accessible support "by investment in significant providers of services in key catchment areas throughout the country and additional support for organisations providing services in disadvantaged communities".
The Family Support Agency administers the scheme of grants.
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