Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, and for his kind comments. I wish the Minister, Deputy McEntee, well. She has just started her maternity leave. I hope all will go well with the birth of her second child.

Tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a priority for me and the Government. This includes focusing on prevention and providing victim-centred supports and services. It is opportune to highlight this work now, as my Department, and many others, are engaged in actively supporting the United Nations 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence. As the Deputy will be aware, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, recently published the third national strategy to combat domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. The goal is clear: zero tolerance in Irish society for any form of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

Under budget 2023, an extra €9 million, a 22% increase, was secured.  This includes increased funding of almost €7 million for organisations funded by Tusla to address acute service demands in existing services throughout the country, and for investment in new services as outlined in the strategy. The funding also strengthens the nationwide supports and will help to maintain the momentum in implementing the ambitious goals set out in the national strategy.

In total, Tusla has been allocated €37 million for funding domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services. Separate from this, my Department has allocated €6.09 million for measures to tackle domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, including through awareness-raising campaigns and funding for perpetrator programmes. My Department has also allocated an additional €5.8 million in funding to promote and assist the development of specific support services for victims of crime, including victims of domestic and sexual crime, within the criminal justice system.

Taken together with the ambitious plans for the development of refuge accommodation through the life of the strategy, I am confident the substantially increased investment in this critical area will make a real and lasting impact on the experience of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

See this speech in context