Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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511. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason he has not met with the Rape Crisis Network Ireland following postponing a previously arranged meeting in January 2015; his position regarding the ending of funding by Tusla-Child and Family Agency to the Rape Crisis Network Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23358/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Sexual violence services are being developed by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, as a national specialist service, so as to enable better outcomes for both children and adults who are survivors of sexual violence.

Tusla has appointed a national manager to ensure a single line of accountability for all resources in this important area. Tusla is currently in the process of recruiting eight additional staff for domestic, sexual and gender based violence services.

I requested that Tusla give particular priority to protecting frontline services, and in that context, funding for the 16 Rape Crisis Centres nationwide which provide services directly to rape survivors has been protected in 2015. Almost €4.0m in funding is dedicated to Rape Crisis Centres in 2015, with funding maintained at 2014 levels. The Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) does not provide services directly to survivors of sexual violence.

The specific funding provided for RCNI by Tusla was to develop and maintain a database of information recorded by workers in Rape Crisis Centres. Tusla had concerns that this database did not capture information from all 16 Rape Crisis Centres as only 11 centres are affiliated with the Network.

In addition, Tusla did not always have timely access to the data collected, which is essential to support the delivery of high quality services across both the domestic violence and sexual violence services sector.

Consequently, Tusla has taken the decision to put in place a comprehensive data system that best meets the current and future data needs of a developing service. In order to plan properly for the future, Tusla needs access to complete and reliable information.

As part of revised governance arrangements, funded sexual violence services will provide information directly to Tusla, creating, for the first time, a comprehensive dataset on all such services funded by the Agency. This information is critically important as Tusla continues to reform services to ensure that we provide the best possible response to survivors of sexual violence.

I was not in a position to meet with the RCNI on 29th January, 2015 due to other Parliamentary commitments in the Seanad. I did meet with representatives of the Rape Crisis Centres on two occasions last March, and constructive discussions were held.