Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

First, the timeline for making any decision such as this will be in the context of the Estimates. Departments will know in October what the budget for next year is, provided it is voted through by this House. We will then be able to make a decision on whether we should have another Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland report. I am told that the research conducted at European level is of good quality. The Departments concerned believe the associated statistical information is useful. As is always the case in any spending, there is not only the cost but also the opportunity cost. We will have to consider whether the €1 million might be better spent on services and in enforcement rather than on studies, but I accept the fundamental point the Deputy is making which is that if we want to plan services well, we need an evidence base behind them. I draw attention to the new legislation brought through in recent times. It is both important and significant. It provides for protection orders, whereby a woman or a man who is the victim of domestic violence can stay in the home rather than having to move to a refuge. The new orders and the new law put personal safety ahead of property rights. It is progressive legislation which means that instead of a victim of violence having to leave home, it is the perpetrator who must go.

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