Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have not had a second SAVI report but the overall cost of a second report has been investigated. I held meetings with the researchers who were involved in the original SAVI report. The cost would be approximately €1 million, although that would be subject to tender. The previous SAVI report cost more than €600,000. It is a question of whether we can find the funding of €1 million for the project. We continue to investigate the feasibility of doing it from a financial point of view, taking into account the resource implications and a funding stream that might be able to support such work. As a Minister, I am very keen on research-based interventions. However, we must strike a balance between funding front-line services which so badly require funding and providing money for research.

A number of other research streams are available to us. For example, in March 2014 the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights launched the results of the largest ever violence against women survey in the EU. That contained details of the prevalence of various types of domestic violence by a partner experienced by those women surveyed who were resident in Ireland. I am sure Deputy Coppinger is familiar with the report. The numbers of citizens who are exposed to either domestic or sexual violence is disturbing. It is very important to know the prevalence of such violence. In the crime categories the CSO published today, sexual offences have increased by 13%, from 2,162 to 2,442, an increase of 280 in that category.

We also have information coming from the rape crisis centres in their annual reports. It is a question of identifying the data that are most useful and needed. Cosc is an organisation that deals with abuse and violence and its data committee is actively working with a variety of criminal justice agencies to try to agree on a gold standard approach.

See this speech in context