Aoife Kelly-Desmond

Community Law & Mediation has urged the government and policymakers to ensure that community mediation is funded and promoted to the same level as family and commercial mediation following the launch of a new research report.

The research, commissioned by CLM, highlights the potential for community mediation to prevent and resolve disputes in a range of areas, including issues affecting children and young adults, conflict within the wider family, neighbour disputes and conflicts within communities.

The report sets out a series of practical recommendations relating to the role of the Mediation Council, improving access to mediation, expanding and diversifying mediation services, considering the potential to adopt violence prevention models and safeguarding vulnerable parties.

Author Dr Heidi Riley, adjunct research fellow at the School of Politics and International Relations at UCD, said: “Mediation is a vital but often underused tool in conflict resolution, prevention and in improving community relations, yet knowledge of what mediation is, and access to mediation services, continues to be limited.”

Welcoming the report, Community Law & Mediation CEO Aoife Kelly-Desmond said: “This research comes at a crucial time, with the long-awaited Mediation Council soon to be established.

“It also coincides with preliminary findings from Ireland’s first Legal Needs Survey, which show that neighbour disputes and housing are among the most common justice problems people face.

“In addition, the recent review of the civil legal aid scheme recommends expanding the role of mediation within a proposed new civil legal aid support system. Reform of the civil legal aid scheme must be progressed without further delay, and this research will help inform this work.”

Ms Kelly-Desmond continued: “We would like to see investment in community mediation services beyond the State-funded family mediation service for separating couples so that we can expand and diversify our services to address the issues raised in the report and support the communities we work with.

“Of course, mediation is not always the appropriate solution and must remain a voluntary process. Specialised training, including trauma-informed mediation skills, is essential to ensure that mediators can respond sensitively and appropriately to the needs of vulnerable individuals and communities.

“Where mediation is not possible or appropriate, individual conflict coaching can use mediative practices to build confidence and skills in managing conflict.”

CLM’s community mediation service, which celebrates its 21st anniversary this year, helps community and family members resolve a range of disputes.

It is delivered by a panel of committed volunteers all of whom are fully accredited and hold practicing certificates with the Mediators’ Institute of Ireland.

It also offers a conflict coaching programme, which helps people to develop the skills to manage interpersonal conflict.

The research was funded by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC).