Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Last month, the Taoiseach announced that the Department of Justice will assume overall responsibility for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, DSGBV, services and policy. I understand the Minister brought a memorandum to the Cabinet this week on the very long-awaited Tusla review into the provision of accommodation for victims of domestic violence. Will the Tusla report be published this week, as committed to by the Taoiseach at his recent meeting with the Opposition?

The Taoiseach has also committed his office to playing a key role in ensuring all Departments deliver on their domestic, sexual and gender-based violence commitments and that the Cabinet committee on social affairs and equality would be utilised in this regard. However, the Taoiseach's Department has no specific provision in its annual budget allocation for DSGBV and the Cabinet committee on social affairs and equality met just twice in 2020 and only once last year. Without a specific budget allocation, allocation of officials or an active Cabinet committee, it is very difficult to see how the Taoiseach's office will have the dedicated focus required.

We know from Government leaks to the media this week that the Minister for Justice also briefed the Cabinet on her plans to establish a new statutory agency to oversee the State's response to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. The Minister believes it will take between 18 and 24 months to put this agency on a statutory footing.

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