Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am conscious of the Deputy's support for this important facility and I was pleased to have been able to visit it at her invitation last year. The Deputy will be aware that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, supports Amber in Kilkenny as part of its role to provide care and protection for victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

Tusla has informed me that Amber has received €506,468 in funding in 2019. I understand Tusla is currently engaging with Amber on funding for 2020. Details of funding and required service provision will be agreed in a service level agreement.

A sum of €25.3 million in funding is being allocated to Tusla for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services in 2020. Following budget 2020, I issued Tusla with its performance statement for 2020 in line with the Child and Family Agency Act 2013. In response to the performance statement Tusla will prepare a business plan for 2020. The precise level of funding to be allocated to individual DSGBV services will be considered by Tusla in preparing its business plan. The plan will be submitted to me shortly.

In 2019, I provided Tusla with an additional €1.5 million to provide additional targeted supports for domestic and sexual violence services. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that good progress has been made in the roll-out of these additional resources by service providers. I highly value the work of individuals providing services to victims of domestic violence, including those in Amber.

See this speech in context