Some 1,225 couples sought help from the Family Mediation Services last year, bringing the number of couples who have used the service in the last four years to 3,159.
Over half of those who completed the mediation process reached agreement on all aspects of their separation, while 8 per cent agreed to return to married life.
The number of couples making use of the free service, which helps couples to address all the issues on which they need to make decisions, has jumped from 250 in 1997 to 1,225 last year. The latest figures show year-on-year increases in couple attendances for each year since set-up.
Announcing the figures, the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Ahern, pledged his support for couples going through separation and divorce and emphasised that they could conduct their negotiations in a non-adversarial way.
The service has grown dramatically in the last four years from centres in Dublin and Limerick to 11 across the State. A further centre is to open in Blanchardstown, Co Dublin, later this year.
A trained mediator helps couples to reach agreement on all issues, after which they can take the agreement to their respective solicitors and have it formalised into a legal document.
The latest statistics show that the majority of couples using the service are aged between 30 and 49 and that half have children under the age of 18.
While the Minister welcomed the role of the service for couples who have decided to separate, he added: "The Government intends to aid the prevention of marital breakdown, where possible, through continued major investment in, and expansion of, marriage counselling services and an innovative Families Research Programme designed to improve knowledge about families and what is needed to strengthen family relationships."