Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)

I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children. I thank the Deputy for raising it.

The national steering committee on violence against women was established following the 1997 report of the task force on violence against women. It is chaired by the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Fahey. The Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive are represented on the committee. The purpose of the committee is to provide a multidisciplinary, multi-agency and cohesive response to the problem of violence against women and, in so doing, to progress the recommendations of the task force.

The steering committee is representative of a wide range of interests concerned with violence against women and has a number of objectives, which include ensuring that regional and local structures are established; developing public awareness campaigns; co-ordinating and advising on the distribution of resources among the health regions; and co-ordinating and advising on ongoing development of policies, including those concerning perpetrators, criminal justice intervention, services and supports. Last year, the committee undertook a national review of sexual assault treatment services. That report is complete and is due for publication in the coming weeks. The Minister is keen that the report's recommendations should be treated as a priority within the HSE and I anticipate that executive funding priorities for 2007 will reflect this.

The Government is committed to working with all interested parties, including service providers, and it has undertaken a range of measures to reduce the incidence of domestic violence, to respond to the needs of both victims and perpetrators and to raise awareness among the public about the dynamics of this crime. These measures can be seen across a wide range of Government policies and include legislative measures, Garda response, health services, the national steering committee on violence against women, national research, and treatment programmes for perpetrators.

A key indicator of Government commitment to the issue can be seen in the funding for service provision. Funding for victims is channelled primarily through the Health Service Executive Vote. In addition, other Departments, such as Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Education and Science, Social and Family Affairs and Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, also contribute to the response to the issue. The provision of all emergency housing, including women's refuges, is a matter for the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Funding is provided by the HSE for the running costs of existing refuges.

Funding from the health sector has increased from approximately €3.8 million in 1997 to approximately €12 million in 2005. Arrangements for funding these frontline services is a matter for the Health Service Executive. The HSE and, formerly, the health boards have worked closely for many years with a range of non-governmental organisations. My Department will continue to monitor investment in these services.

In keeping with the recommendations of the task force on violence against women published in 1997, the HSE works through regional planning committees whose function is to determine the needs of their localities and to co-ordinate both statutory and voluntary approaches to these needs. A regional planning committee is active in the north west and it comprises representatives of local NGOs. The committee is also supported by a senior HSE manager.

Sligo Rape Crisis Centre, WAVES Women's Support Services and Sligo Social Services are NGOs which provide frontline services in responding to violence against women in Sligo and Leitrim. The 2006 allocation to the NGO service providers within this sector in the region is €360,109. Through the regional planning committee, the HSE will continue to engage with these organisations in the context of service demands and development requirements. The HSE was funded to maintain existing levels of service in this area in 2006 and, therefore, existing service providers may expect to be funded to similar levels as last year to maintain service provision.

I acknowledge the valuable work undertaken by all the organisations that provide many essential and important services in the violence against women sector. I also acknowledge the direct supports provided by the HSE through its sexual assault treatment units, counselling services, accident and emergency units, social work services, general practitioner and community services.

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