Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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14. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide an update on plans to address shortcomings in sexual violence prevention services and evidence gathering provided at a national level, in view of the drastic reduction to the core funding of the Rape Crisis Network Ireland and Women’s Aid from the Child and Family Agency. [27331/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Tusla has undertaken a comprehensive review of sexual violence and domestic violence services, in consultation with service providers. The purpose was to identify strategic priorities and set out a roadmap for the delivery of these services. Tusla is seeking through this process to address any identified gaps in services, to avoid duplication and to support effective delivery of frontline services nationally. Tusla considers that there is scope for a more co-ordinated and more equitable provision of these services across the country.

One of the concerns identified by Tusla relates to the completeness and availability of data to plan and deliver services. In addition to this, there was some duplication and overlap in the provision of domestic and sexual violence awareness training. Tusla’s aim is to put these services on a more sustainable footing.

For the first time domestic and sexual violence services are being developed as a specialist national service with a single line of accountability so as to enable better outcomes for both children and adults who are survivors of sexual violence. A roadmap for the future of service delivery has been approved by Tusla’s Board.

The funding provided to 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 to this, 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 timely 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 and evidence is critically important as Tusla continues to reform services to ensure the best possible response is provided to survivors of sexual violence.

With regard to Women's Aid, Tusla has allocated funding of €600,000 to this organisation in 2015, to maintain current frontline service provision, including the development of the national domestic violence helpline. Women’s Aid also receives funding from a number of Government sources for the services it provides, including €158,000 over a two year period from the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government; and €140,000 – an increase of €60,000 in 2015 – from the Department of Justice and Equality for the awareness raising and court accompaniment services.

In my discussions with Tusla this year, I requested that particular priority be given 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.

In summary, Tusla is committed to the development of domestic, sexual and gender based violence services in line with its statutory remit to provide such services. The immediate focus is on ensuring that frontline services are protected and this is happening. Beyond that, in planning for the future provision and development of services, Tusla is committed to addressing identified gaps in service provision, eliminating duplication where it exists and ensuring the provision of a more equitable service. The availability of comprehensive national data will support Tusla in this work.