Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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170. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown of the funding provided by his Department by agencies dealing with the issue of domestic violence in County Louth in 2010, 2011 and 2012; the amount that has been allocated for 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32444/13]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Responsibility for the development and provision of services to support victims of domestic abuse rests with the nister for Health and is delivered through the Health Service Executive. In addition Cosc, the National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, which was established in June 2007 as an executive office of the Department of Justice and Equality, works to ensure the delivery of a coordinated response across Government to issues of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. My Department’s responsibility is in respect of homelessness which in some cases involves the provision of current funding, under Section 10 of the Housing Act 1988, towards the operational costs of refuges for the victims of domestic abuse. Details of the funding provided by my Department, under Section 10, for the years 2008 – 2012 in County Louth are set out in the table below. Section 10 funding is provided from my Department at the rate of 90% of costs incurred, with the housing authorities providing 10% of costs from their own resources.

A Protocol for the Delegation of Section 10 Homeless f unding has been agreed between my Department and Louth County Council, as lead authority for the North East region. This arrangement provides for the delegation of €879,963 for homeless accommodation and related services to the North East r egion involving Louth, Cavan and Monaghan County Councils for 2013.

In addition, details of the funding provided by my Department to organisations tackling the issue of domestic violence, under the Scheme to Support National Organisations, for the years 2010 - 2013 are set out in the table below. Details are not available on the expenditure by these organisations in County Louth.

My Department also provides funding to organisations under the Local and Community Development Programme with the objective of tackling poverty and social exclusion through partnership and constructive engagement between Government, its agencies, and people in disadvantaged communities. It is a key tool of Government in providing supports for the ‘harder to reach’ in the most disadvantaged areas and communities. A number of groups funded under this programme specifically target actions in respect of domestic violence initiatives. Many other projects funded under this programme, while not having a specific domestic violence focus, provide information on this issue. Details of the funding provided by the Louth LEADER Partnership in respect of the issue of domestic violence in the County Louth area for the years 2010 - 2013 are set out in the table below.