Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

I thank the Deputy for raising this topical issue as it provides me with an opportunity to clarify the current situation.

Domestic violence is a serious health and human rights issue. In March 2010, the Government launched a four year strategy to provide a framework for sustainable intervention to prevent and effectively respond to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. Cosc is the national office for the prevention of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence and was established in 2007 under the aegis of the Department of Justice and Equality. Cosc's key task is to ensure the delivery of a well co-ordinated Government response to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

The HSE also launched its policy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in 2010. The principal actions of this policy are in line with the national policy. The health care system is usually the first route through which domestic violence victims seek support. HSE staff are trained to recognise, respond and refer appropriately to cases of domestic violence. The HSE also manages the significant impact of domestic violence on the health and well-being of victims through primary care and hospital services. HSE staff and allied health professionals provide a range of services to people who experience domestic violence.

Nationally the HSE also funds 47 front-line domestic violence service providers. Twenty of these provide refuge accommodation and this number has risen from 15 since 2000. The services provide a wide range of supports such as advocacy and counselling and were funded to the amount of €I4 million in 2010. Every HSE region in Ireland has at least one refuge available providing crisis emergency accommodation. All but one, located in the western region, are accessible on a 24 hour basis. There are ten counties in which refuge facilities are not located, but the support service providers in these locations may refer clients to refuge services in neighbouring counties.

There are currently 138 emergency accommodation units funded by the HSE nationally. These units may offer accommodation to a single client or a client with accompanying children and are intended to provide emergency or transitional crisis accommodation. Teach Tearmainn, a domestic violence service provider in Kildare, is on the point of completing a major new capital development which includes four self contained apartments to be used as crisis accommodation for victims of domestic violence. Teach Tearmainn is currently funded by the Health Service Executive to provide an information and advice service to women who experience domestic violence in Kildare. I recently met the committee that has been established to run Teach Tearmainn and with the two local Deputies, Deputy Martin Heydon and Deputy Jack Wall.

The capitalaspects of the new development were fully funded through the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. Teach Tearmainn has applied to the HSE for revenuefunding to operate the new units. While the HSE has indicated its broad support for the new project, there was no allocation for this budgeted in 2011 and all available funding for 2011 has already been allocated. However, the HSE has undertaken to investigate potential avenues of funding for 2012 and this process is currently under way. We should have news about it soon.

Last Wednesday, the National Statistics on Domestic Violence 2010 were published by SAFE Ireland, the national representative body for 39 women's front-line domestic violence services. These statistics show a substantial increase in demand for services in 2010 compared to 2009. It is within the context of this increased demand for domestic violence services that the HSE is currently engaged in a national and regional review of domestic violence service provision. The aim of this review is to ensure that funding is allocated according to need and areas of high demand are appropriately resourced. I assure the Deputy that the Government is fully committed to addressing the problem of domestic violence.

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