Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. In 2020, my Department provided funding of €25.3 million for Tusla's core domestic violence services, supporting 60 organisations in various parts of the country. The Department is also providing additional supports to Tusla to allow these services to cope with the additional complications arising from Covid-19. Some €800,000 has been provided to these services. I anticipate that by the end of the year €1.2 million will have been allocated to these services specifically in respect of Covid.

Since the beginning of the crisis, Tusla has actively engaged with all services to support a continuity of service and prioritised domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in the context of the pandemic. We are all very much aware that this pandemic presents particular risks for the victims of domestic and sexual violence and can make it much more difficult for them to access supports. Emergency refuge accommodation provides a safe haven for those experiencing a threat to their safety, which is why Tusla has worked with refuges to identify and secure additional accommodation places where needs have arisen. Tusla has supported the sector with additional staff, personal protective equipment, PPE, and ICT resources in order that the services can remain open to everybody who needs them.

In the budget, I prioritised resourcing for Tusla so that it can meet the needs of the most vulnerable in our society. I secured an additional €61 million for Tusla this year, giving it an annual budget of €878 million. I have engaged significantly with representatives of the domestic, sexual and gender-based violence sector in recent weeks, and will continue to do so to hear their experiences of the pandemic and what my Department and Tusla can do to support them more. In my engagement with Tusla on its business plan for next year, the issue of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is foremost in my mind.

See this speech in context