Written answers

Thursday, 7 December 2006

Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform

Victims of Crime

7:00 pm

Photo of Martin FerrisMartin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 45: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on whether a single Department and Minister should take ultimate responsibility for ensuring that adequate funding is made available to tackle violence against women and to respond to the needs of victims in order to address the currently unacceptable situation whereby responsibility is avoided by all and funding needs fall through the gaps. [41987/06]

Photo of Michael McDowellMichael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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Violence against Women on any level and in any context is a serious crime. Frequently in a domestic context it gravely affects not just the victim but also impacts very negatively on her children. As a crime, it is essential that the perpetrator is prosecuted and brought to justice. It is also essential that the victim receives all appropriate care and support and, should she require it, medical treatment if necessary. This may also involve the provision of emergency housing.

Accordingly, a single victim may require services which fall appropriately within the remit of the Minister for Health and Children through the Health Service Executive; the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government and local authorities; and through the agencies of my own Department, particularly the Garda Síochána, the Courts Service, the Probation and Welfare Service and the Legal Aid Board and also services such as court accompaniment and perpetrator programmes which are provided with funding support by my Department.

The National Steering Committee on Violence against Women was established in accordance with the recommendations of the 1997 Task Force on Violence against Women and it meets regularly under the chairmanship of Minister of State Frank Fahey T.D. to collaborate on the delivery of services. A firm of consultants was engaged to make recommendations on a new strategic action plan for the National Steering Committee and those recommendations, which very recently came to hand, are under consideration in my Department at present. This process will inform the ongoing and valuable work of the National Steering Committee.

As many of the services which address violence against women, such as the criminal and civil justice systems and the health services, are delivered in the context of a wider reaching service, it does not appear to be feasible to transfer financial and administrative responsibility for specific elements of the services to a single Minister. Indeed an Inter-Departmental Sub-Committee of the National Steering Committee reviewed the funding arrangements in 2005 and made a series of recommendations but did not propose the transfer of responsibility to a single Department.

The Sub-Committee stressed the importance of co-ordination in the approach to the issue and I firmly believe that it is important that there is continuing co-ordination of services and that they are adequately funded within the responsible Departments and Agencies. I am pleased that the funding available to my own Department for awareness raising and perpetrator programmes has increased by 32% for 2007.

Substantial funding is made available in the other Government Departments for the agencies under their remit. Identified needs are being addressed and being met to the fullest extent possible.

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