Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 95: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the proposals to or actions already made by him into research into violence against women, domestic violence and violence against ethnic women; the cost of such research; the decisions reached as a result of such research; the actions taken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14923/07]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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Funding has been made available by my Department for a number of key research projects in the last five years relating to violence against women, violence against ethnic women and domestic violence.

In 2005, the National Crime Council, which is funded by my Department, published, in association with the Economic and Social Research Institute, the first ever large-scale study undertaken to give an overview of the nature, extent and impact of domestic abuse against women and men in intimate partner relationships in Ireland. This major survey cost approximately €225,000. The results of this study have informed our understanding of the extent of the problem of domestic violence in Ireland.

In 2004 funding of €108,054 over a period of three years was provided to the Rape Crisis Network of Ireland for research into attrition rates in rape cases in Ireland. This study is approaching completion and will also inform future decision making.

An amount of €24,600 was granted to Women's Aid in November 2006 to research female domestic homicide. In examining the crime in the context of Irish society it will help identify where opportunities for effective intervention were originally missed and recognise the identifiable risk factors present in many such deaths.

The Women's Health Council have been awarded a research grant of €94,500 in December 2006 to examine the experience of ethnic minority women in Ireland in relation to violence. This research will inform future decision-making on provision of services to women from ethnic minorities,

In addition, and at a total cost of some €86,000, my Department has commissioned two separate evaluations of the perpetrator and other intervention programmes which it has been supporting. The outcomes of these evaluations have contributed to the recently announced decision on the establishment of a new Executive Office within the aegis of my Department to prevent domestic violence.

One of the tasks of the new Office, which will be called COSC — Irish Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, will be to commission further research into the causes and effects of domestic violence and violence against women. The Department is also supporting the establishment of a dedicated researcher post in the National Crime Council to develop a permanent research competence in the field of violence against women and draw down emerging international research on the topic.