Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

"Yes" is the simple answer. The €1.1 million comes directly from Supporting the Victim's Journey and the recommendations in the Tom O'Malley report, which was published almost two years ago this summer. It is intended that victims who previously did not have access to or were not able to afford legal support going through the court process, would have access to that from the beginning when they decide to take that difficult step of coming forward and seeking help. It is the intention that they would have access to legal advice and would be able to make the decision whether or not to process, move forward, or go to An Garda Síochána. The intention is that, in years to come, that money will expand even further. This is initial funding as we get this particular action up and running. It is intended to support victims at every stage of the way.

It complements other work that has also been done where we have expanded and improved the victims' charter, making sure that when people go online to see what supports are available to them, there is a clear and understandable website with the directions signposted for them as to where they can go. Of course, legal advice would be one option available to them. There are many others as well. It is important to note that this is not just about going through the courts process. Not everybody decides to do that. However, we must ensure they are still supported and have that legal protection.