Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 200: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the role of the regional planning committees on domestic violence; the persons who sit on these committees; the persons who chair these committees; the number of times a year they meet; the role of same in view of the establishment of the national office for the prevention of domestic, sexual and gender based violence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9678/09]

Mary Wallace (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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Following the recommendations of the Report on the Task Force on Violence against Women in 1997, Regional Planning Committees (RPCs) were established in each of the eight former health board regions to draw together the services available to women in each of these regions in order to consolidate an approach to the treatment of victims of violence.

A wide range of groups consisting of public, community and voluntary sectors including Local Authorities, Probation and Welfare Services, Gardaí and GPs and key organisations such as Rape Crisis Centres, Refuges and support services sit on the RPCs. The appointment of a Chairperson is a matter decided by each committee. Therefore some committees have independent chairs while some are chaired by a member of the RPC. In accordance with the Task Force Report the RPCs meet at least four times a year but many of the committees meet much more frequently.

Cosc, the National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, which comes under the remit of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, has been working with the Health Service Executive (HSE) since June 2007 to strengthen the functioning of the regional committees. An adjusted remit and structure for the regional committees was agreed with the HSE following consultation with the committees and Cosc. The HSE are now implementing these structures which will include representation for each committee on the National Steering Committee on Violence against Women (NSC). The adjusted remit of the new regional committees and their representation on the NSC is intended to strengthen the capacity for a flow of information between the national and regional level and to improve inter-regional coordination and regional inter-agency working.