The Crisis Pregnancy Agency (CPA) and CURA, the Catholic organisation that provides crisis pregnancy supports and services, have signed a three-year Service Level Agreement.This means that the Catholic crises pregnancy agency will once again receive funding from the government.
No funds had been provided to CURA since June of this year.
Reacting to the event, Bishop John Fleming, President of CURA, said: “I am glad that Service Level Agreement has been signed. This will help CURA to continue to provide care for those who experience a crisis in their pregnancy."
A spokesman for the bishops conference confirmed to ciNews that under the new service level agreement, CURA will not be obliged to distribute the ‘Positive Options’ leaflet which gives the addresses of centres which do abortion referral to the UK.
The Service Level Agreement provides for the continuation of funding for CURA’s crisis pregnancy and post-abortion counselling services, as well as making available funding for a new post-natal support service.
The Crisis Pregnancy Agency will award €2.2 million to Cura over the three-year period of the service level agreement, an increase of almost €400,000 over the three years.
Up to now, CURA had been receiving in excess of €600,000 per year from the CPA.
“Through this agreement, the Crisis Pregnancy Agency and CURA will work together to support women,” said Chairperson of the CPA, Ms Katharine Bulbulia.
“CURA as one of the longest established crisis pregnancy counselling support services in Ireland has an important role to play and we look forward to working constructively with them.”
The agreement outlines the services CURA will provide to women with a crisis pregnancy through its 16 branches in the Republic of Ireland.
It follows on from the previous agreement between CURA and the CPA that covered the period from 2004 – 2007.
Speaking on behalf of the National Executive of CURA, Ms Louise Graham said “I welcome the signing of the Service Level Agreement and look forward to the ongoing provision and development of crisis pregnancy services by CURA.”
Conflict arose between CURA and the CPA over the CPA’s ‘Positive Options’ leaflet which provides the addresses of centres in Ireland that do abortion referral to the UK.
In May 2005 four volunteers from CURA were dismissed for refusing to distribute the leaflet.
Afterwards, on the instructions of the bishops, CURA stopped distributing the leaflet, but since then the agency has faced the threat of losing its funding from the CPA as the distribution of the leaflet was part of the previous service agreement. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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