Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 1078: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the steps he is taking to ensure that there are adequate resources and services to respond to the high rates of violence towards women. [40294/05]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 1079: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the measures he intends to put in place to deal with the high incidence of violence towards women, following recent research carried out by the National Crime Council which concluded that one in seven women experience severe abuse from a partner. [40295/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1078 and 1079 together.

There is a comprehensive range of civil and criminal justice measures in place to tackle violence against women and the operation of the law in this area is kept under ongoing review. My Department chairs and provides the secretariat to the national steering committee on violence against women, NSC. The committee's remit is to provide a forum for the co-ordination of responses to violence against women and to develop a strategy and action plan which will build on the work achieved to date and chart progress for the future.

The membership of the national steering committee comprises representatives of the five Departments and the key State bodies with a role in the area of violence against women and representatives of the relevant non-governmental organisations. The preparation of the new strategy has involved extensive consultation with interested parties as well as an evaluation of the working methods and structures of the NSC, with a view to further enhancing their effectiveness and laying down a workplan for the future. The strategic plan should be completed this year and it is expected to include a long-term strategy to raise awareness about violence against women.

The provision of services to women experiencing violence, including domestic violence, rape and sexual assault, is the responsibility of the Department of Health and Children, while the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is responsible for the provision of refuges and other emergency accommodation. A number of other Departments also have an involvement in responding to the problem of violence against women, including the Department of Education and Science as well as the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, which assists community groups dealing with the issue.

It is also worth noting that the Department of Social and Family Affairs provides funding through the Family Support Agency and that the community employment schemes assist by means of support staff at women's refuges. The findings of a sub-committee of the national steering committee on the question of funding for the sector generally are under consideration in the Departments with responsibility in the area.

In addition to ensuring the necessary responses from the civil and criminal justice system, my Department is also responsible for preventative and awareness measures, including a number of intervention programmes for perpetrators of domestic violence. Last year, the Department funded the evaluation of two such perpetrator programmes and the recommendations of the evaluation are currently being implemented. Furthermore, evaluation of a pilot project on domestic violence intervention in a particular area is nearing completion and the findings will also contribute to the development of departmental policy in this field.