Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for raising a range of issues with me. Deputy McDonald referred to domestic violence and the violence against women policy. The publication of the Tusla review will be this week and it is my understanding that the Minister is intent on doing that. There will be a joint delivery board chaired by the Secretary General of my Department and the Secretary General of the Department of Justice, and it will report to the Cabinet committee that we are discussing right now.

When the Deputy refers to a specific budget, there are staff that deal with this whole area in the social policy division and the funding is there for them to do work on this. They will be working in other areas as well and that is normal within the Department of the Taoiseach. Some areas get dealt with and are then concluded, but the funding necessary will be there to carry out the work of the unit within my Department to make sure the timelines, the commitments and the strategy are delivered.

The Minister is going out again to do further consultation. I anticipate the strategy will be ready sometime in April. The Minister wants to talk again to the NGOs and the organisations in respect of the strategy itself. In terms of the agency and the following meetings we have had, the conclusion is that a specific agency would be the best way to pull the different strands of decision together to enable a comprehensive, cohesive and coherent approach to be taken in providing both policy – obviously, the Minister will provide the policy - and the wraparound supports and procurement of refuge spaces and places. There will be full and comprehensive approach, given the need to pull together different strands and different areas of responsibility into one agency. There is a lot of merit in that, given the issues that have to be addressed, and they need to make progress on that.

In the interim, as I said earlier to other Deputies, it is very important that we move on the refuge places issue and that we work with local authorities and local stakeholder groups to progress that. Deputy Murnane O'Connor met with stakeholders in Carlow. Again, if proposals can come from Carlow, we will respond in respect of developing refuge places there with the local authority and through the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

In regard to Judge Haughton’s final report on the scoping exercise, I recognise the ongoing pain and anguish of the O'Farrell family. Many Deputies have raised with me the tragic death of Shane and we very deeply sympathise with the family on their loss. Judge Haughton has been conducting a scoping exercise into the tragic circumstances surrounding Shane's death. He furnished an interim report to the then Minister for Justice in November 2019 in which he stated he would not restrict or limit Shane's family in their submissions to him or the nature or extent of the documentation they wish to furnish to him and his scoping exercise. The judge is completely independent in conducting this scoping exercise, so it is not open to me or the Minister to comment on any aspect of the judge’s work or the process of compiling the final report. The Department maintains regular contact with the judge and has assured him that any assistance that he requires to complete his final report will be made available.

I am informed that Judge Haughton has most recently sought comments on various sections of his draft report from the parties named in it, including the Department of Justice, and the Department has duly responded to his request. I also understand that Judge Haughton has been in touch with the O'Farrell family regarding this matter. Following receipt of a response from all relevant parties, it is understood that Judge Haughton will be in a position to finalise his report. As I said, the Department of Justice will continue to provide all necessary assistance to the judge.

I look forward to receiving the final report. The process has taken a long time, which we regret, but the judge is doing all he can to ensure that the concerns which the family have raised with him during the process are followed through to the greatest extent possible. We will take it from there when that report is published.

Deputy Barry raised the issue of the Coillte land at Ballymartle. I said previously in the House that Coillte has a particular mandate right now, and commercial is one part of it in terms of making ends meet. Personally and policy-wise, I am of the view that we have to move to a situation where all State bodies must lead on climate change. Afforestation is key to that and the retention of trees is key to that as well. Deputies have raised the considerable concern of people living in the area to retain what is a very important residential amenity. The issue will continue to be pursued.

Deputy Boyd Barrett raise the issue of mobility. There is a review under way at the moment within the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The whole mobility allowance issue arose because of an Ombudsman's report back in 2013, when that scheme was taken out and no replacement scheme came in. There is an issue around the cost of disability report. All of that is now being considered by an interdepartmental group. The Deputy made a reasonable point in terms of groups like ACTS, those voluntary organisations which provide door-to-door transport services for people with disabilities. I will speak to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, in respect of that and I will also talk to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in terms of what can be done.

Deputy Paul Murphy raised the case of Tommy Dickson, who is looking for a full-time SNA. He has a rare, life-limiting mitochondrial condition, as the Deputy outlined. Again, I am not clear as to why the NCSE has decided not to allocate but I will raise this issue with it.

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