The One in Four group will not close following agreement from the Department of Health to continue to fund the support organisation. This follows a 90-minute meeting between its representatives and the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, last night.
The Department agreed to continue funding the group at the meeting, which was described by both sides as "constructive".
A spokeswoman for the Minister said he had committed the Department to continued support for One in Four, and that a detailed service plan for it for 2004 was to be prepared.
One in Four helps people who were sexually abused as children. It was set up in Dublin last February, having been established in London in 1999.
Follow-up meetings between the group and the Minister of State with Responsibility for Children, Mr Brian Lenihan, are to take place.
Mr Lenihan attended last night's meeting with Mr Martin. One in Four was represented by Mr Colm O'Gorman, Ms Sinead Dowling and clinical director Ms Therese Gaynor.
Mr O'Gorman said he was pleased with the outcome, and assured that the Minister said any support necessary for the Ferns Inquiry would also be assisted by the Department.
One in Four has been involved in giving support to people who have given evidence before inquiry hearings.
The Minister also reassured the One in Four representatives that a warning phone call to Mr O'Gorman on September 15th from a section of Government, following criticisms of the Government's handling of the Laffoy Commission by Mr O'Gorman, had not come from his Department.
Mr O'Gorman pointed out that he had never claimed it came from the Department of Health. He did not know where in Government it had come from.
In a statement yesterday, One in Four publicly expressed its gratitude to the members of U2 and their manager, Mr Paul McGuinness, for their offer of €40,000 in support for the organisation.
"In particular we wish to thank them for such a public statement of support and encouragement."
The donation would allow the organisation to continue to work to support clients. Mr O'Gorman said it would give the group an opportunity to secure funding that would allow it to work towards long-term survival of the organisation should the Government fail to honour its commitment to properly fund the service.
He said the public support given by U2, their manager and hundreds of individuals who contacted One in Four to lend their support has been overwhelming.
Mr Martin last night welcomed the U2 donation, pointing out that One in Four was a charity and was not just funded by the State. He drew attention to the fact that the State contribution to the group was €633,000 to date.
