Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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Why was no additional allocation provided for frontline organisations responding to violence against women in the 2006 budget and Finance Act? Frontline services are trying to operate with the same funding they were allocated in 2002. These services are essential for women and families. Between 1996 and 2002, 115 women were murdered in Ireland. They were ordinary women — mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughter — of all ages. Given the awful effects of domestic violence, a national strategy for women is needed as well as resources to address the acute funding crisis being experienced by organisations that respond to violence against women and that work with women trying to rebuild their lives. This is a national issue and it is estimated an additional €7 million will be needed this year to deal with it.

WAVES Women's Support Services, a community-based organisation in Sligo, Leitrim and west Cavan, was established in 2004 to provide essential frontline services to women experiencing domestic violence. Prior to this, no dedicated service was in place for such women in the region and many women had nowhere to go to access support, information and advocacy. WAVES provides a free and confidential service to women throughout the area and its workers are specially trained and supported to respond to women at risk. The group has five staff but the funding for one of the workers will run out in less than 12 months. WAVES cannot cope with the number of women and families who need their help. The organisation wants to advertise its services to women in the area who live in terror and who are at risk of abuse and violence daily, but it is stretched. It is a dreadful that the organisation knows that people need help, information, services, advocacy, security and support and it could deliver this. However, it is helpless because it is working at capacity and knows much more needs to be done.

WAVES works in partnership with the Health Service Executive which provides core funding and full support. However, the Government has not increased funding in this area since 2002 and, therefore, the HSE north west region has been unable to respond effectively to the needs of WAVES and other frontline organisations. In 2005, WAVES dealt with 2,811 support calls from women experiencing violence and abuse and received 76 requests for emergency and long-term accommodation but was only able to address 29 cases. What happened to the other 47?

Much of Sligo, Leitrim and west Cavan is quite rural and, therefore, outreach services are needed for women. WAVES is endeavouring to provide services to women wherever possible but, given the failure to increase resources and the threat of losing staff, women living in isolated areas are being discriminated against because they do not receive a service. The position is dire. In 2006 the organisation's projected expenditure is approximately €34,000 more than its projected income and, therefore, it is in trouble. There is a four to five week waiting list to meet a member of staff one-to-one, despite many women not even knowing the service exists.

This is an emergency for women experiencing violence in Sligo, Leitrim and west Cavan. I ask the Minister of State to provide additional funding because it is not too late. Approximately €7 million is needed nationwide. A fraction of that amount would address the problem in my area.

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children. I thank the Deputy for raising it.

The national steering committee on violence against women was established following the 1997 report of the task force on violence against women. It is chaired by the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Fahey. The Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive are represented on the committee. The purpose of the committee is to provide a multidisciplinary, multi-agency and cohesive response to the problem of violence against women and, in so doing, to progress the recommendations of the task force.

The steering committee is representative of a wide range of interests concerned with violence against women and has a number of objectives, which include ensuring that regional and local structures are established; developing public awareness campaigns; co-ordinating and advising on the distribution of resources among the health regions; and co-ordinating and advising on ongoing development of policies, including those concerning perpetrators, criminal justice intervention, services and supports. Last year, the committee undertook a national review of sexual assault treatment services. That report is complete and is due for publication in the coming weeks. The Minister is keen that the report's recommendations should be treated as a priority within the HSE and I anticipate that executive funding priorities for 2007 will reflect this.

The Government is committed to working with all interested parties, including service providers, and it has undertaken a range of measures to reduce the incidence of domestic violence, to respond to the needs of both victims and perpetrators and to raise awareness among the public about the dynamics of this crime. These measures can be seen across a wide range of Government policies and include legislative measures, Garda response, health services, the national steering committee on violence against women, national research, and treatment programmes for perpetrators.

A key indicator of Government commitment to the issue can be seen in the funding for service provision. Funding for victims is channelled primarily through the Health Service Executive Vote. In addition, other Departments, such as Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Education and Science, Social and Family Affairs and Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, also contribute to the response to the issue. The provision of all emergency housing, including women's refuges, is a matter for the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Funding is provided by the HSE for the running costs of existing refuges.

Funding from the health sector has increased from approximately €3.8 million in 1997 to approximately €12 million in 2005. Arrangements for funding these frontline services is a matter for the Health Service Executive. The HSE and, formerly, the health boards have worked closely for many years with a range of non-governmental organisations. My Department will continue to monitor investment in these services.

In keeping with the recommendations of the task force on violence against women published in 1997, the HSE works through regional planning committees whose function is to determine the needs of their localities and to co-ordinate both statutory and voluntary approaches to these needs. A regional planning committee is active in the north west and it comprises representatives of local NGOs. The committee is also supported by a senior HSE manager.

Sligo Rape Crisis Centre, WAVES Women's Support Services and Sligo Social Services are NGOs which provide frontline services in responding to violence against women in Sligo and Leitrim. The 2006 allocation to the NGO service providers within this sector in the region is €360,109. Through the regional planning committee, the HSE will continue to engage with these organisations in the context of service demands and development requirements. The HSE was funded to maintain existing levels of service in this area in 2006 and, therefore, existing service providers may expect to be funded to similar levels as last year to maintain service provision.

I acknowledge the valuable work undertaken by all the organisations that provide many essential and important services in the violence against women sector. I also acknowledge the direct supports provided by the HSE through its sexual assault treatment units, counselling services, accident and emergency units, social work services, general practitioner and community services.