Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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3. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on the fact that all core funding for Rape Crisis Network Ireland has been cut and transferred to Tusla; and his views on the loss of valuable information to the Government and support for services for rape victims with the closure of the Royal College of Nursing. [27633/15]

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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This question was asked as a Topical Issue recently and I read the Minister's reply. I wish to challenge some of the points made in the reply. I am not saying that funding for Rape Crisis Network Ireland should be reinstated but rather that we must remember the role of Rape Crisis Network Ireland, which has been crucial in collating data which has driven policy over the last 40 years. As the Minister has said, it is evidence-based. This is top-of-the-range information, as is recognised internationally. For that information not to be put to further use is very serious. I do not think Tusla can play that role.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I understand that the Deputy's question relates to Rape Crisis Network Ireland, and I am responding on this basis. Tusla has undertaken a comprehensive review of sexual and domestic violence services in consultation with service providers. The purpose was to identify strategic priorities and to set out a roadmap for the future delivery of these services. It is seeking through this process to address any identified gaps in services, to avoid duplication and to support effective delivery of front-line services nationally. Tusla considers that there is scope for more co-ordinated and more equitable provision of these services across the country. One of the concerns identified by Tusla, and by Deputy Collins, relates to the completeness and availability of data to plan and deliver services.

For the first time domestic and sexual violence services are being developed as a specialist national service with a single line of accountability so as to enable better outcomes for both children and adults who are survivors of sexual violence. A roadmap for the future of service delivery has been approved by Tusla’s board.

Funding provided to RCNI by Tusla was to develop and maintain a database of information recorded by workers in rape crisis centres. Tusla had concerns that this database did not capture information from all 16 rape crisis centres as only 11 centres are affiliated with the network.

In addition, Tusla did not always have timely access to the data collected, which is essential to support the delivery of high quality services across both the domestic violence and sexual violence services sectors. Consequently, Tusla has taken the decision to put in place a comprehensive data system that best meets the current and future data needs of a developing service.

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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The information that the RCNI has developed over the past 40 years was very comprehensive. It is not necessary for every centre to be involved in supplying the information, although at one stage all 16 centres were involved. The type of information they gathered did not need full representation. It was not designed as an operational administrative tool but can easily deliver that small area of data. It is not representative of the population as the service users are self-selecting and rape crisis centres are ad hoc. Therefore, full participation by all centres, while desirable, is not critical to the validity of the data. RCNI data have provided ground-breaking research findings which have been used to inform responses to different types of survivors and to form prevention strategies.

I challenge the Minister's statement that "Tusla did not always have timely access to the data collected". According to the RCNI, over two years only one deadline was missed by three days due to illness. In every other instance, Tusla received timely information.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Tusla's position, as given to me, is that it has issues with the timeliness of the data collected. I am mindful of the need to ensure that we have comprehensive and timely national data across the system to assist in monitoring and evaluating existing services and to help in planning for the future delivery and development of these services. I have raised with the board and the executive of Tusla the issue of how the quality of data can be improved as a priority for 2015. I understand that the development of information systems to capture and analyse data on sexual violence and domestic violence services is a priority for Tusla and I support its efforts to address shortfalls in this area. Funded sexual violence services will provide information directly to Tusla, creating, for the first time, a comprehensive dataset on all such services funded by the agency.

Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left)
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If there is a system that works why break it? Why bring it into a bigger organisation that does not have, but would like to have, the expertise that RCNI has? Why was RCNI not brought into the system to give and maintain that information in a proper way?

Since January, Tusla has not collected the information as set up by the RCNI, which is recognised internationally. The European gender equality groupings are considering how the data are processed, collected and used. I cannot understand why this has happened. Maybe the Minister can intervene and meet up with the RCNI and Tusla. No one has even seen the review the Minister talks about. RCNI did not have an opportunity to respond to, challenge, raise issues around or expand on, it. Tusla has always received information it required from the RCNI on time, except once. I hate when there is one side saying one thing and another saying something else. There is an opportunity here to bring the groups together and examine comprehensively how the information will continue into the future to design policies for this important area.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Two of the biggest centres, including the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, the centre in Galway and several others, are not members of this group and they have a considerable volume of information which would be essential for planning. I do not have the full list with me. Tusla is not the only provider of funding for the RCNI although it provides a substantial part of its funding. We maintained, and I issued an instruction, that front-line services should be protected. Although we are coming out of an economic recession and the Department's budget was increased, there is still huge pressure on that budget. We have to make choices and the choice Tusla has made, which I support, is to support the front-line services. Each of the rape crisis centres that delivers care and services to the victims of sexual and domestic violence received its funding this year, as last year, to a total of approximately €4 million. My job is to protect the service to the front line. In respect of the reorganisation of information being collected Tusla believes it can get more complete information in a much more timely fashion by going about it in a different way. The important point from the Deputy's point of view, and certainly from my point of view, is that front-line services are protected and that victims and survivors of sexual and domestic violence receive the service when they need it.