The future of the One in Four group, which helps people who have been sexually abused as children, is at risk due to a disagreement with the Department of Health and Children over funding.
The group has called a press conference for today at which it is expected details of its difficulties with the Department will be published.
Currently the group deals with an average 120 calls a week, while its 14 staff (some part-time) deal with approximately 100 abuse victims who are in ongoing therapy and act as advocates for a further 40 to 50.
It also is assisting about 20 people who have given or intend to give evidence to the Ferns inquiry into how allegations of clerical child sex abuse were handled in Ferns diocese.
The group has been in dispute for sometime with the Department over funding, particularly over resources to allow a staff member to work full-time in support of those giving evidence to the Ferns inquiry.
It has been alleged that Government officials have reneged on agreements with the group over funding, while the group's director, Mr Colm O'Gorman, raised money to cover the Dublin office's costs over three months earlier this year.
He did so through borrowing on the strength of the €300,000 compensation deal he received from Ferns diocese in an abuse settlement last April.
A spokeswoman for the Department said last night that it had agreed funding of €500,000 to date with the group.
She said the Minister, Mr Martin, had asked officials to prepare a briefing for him for this morning on the One in Four difficulties and she was hopeful that Department officials would get together with the group later this week to sort out problems.
One In Four was established in London by Mr O'Gorman in 1999. One In Four Ireland was established in July 2002 and opened its doors for services in February of this year. The decision to open in Ireland followed public reaction to the BBC Suing the Pope programme broadcast in March 2002 and on RTÉ subsequently.
It also led to the resignation of the Bishop of Ferns, Dr Brendan Comiskey, and the Birmingham investigation to see what form of non-statutory inquiry was best suited to investigate the handling of clerical child sex abuse in Ferns. That in turn led to the Ferns inquiry, which began its hearings in Dublin last month.
