Written answers

Tuesday, 17 November 2015

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Child and Family Agency

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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356. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the current funding situation for Westmeath Support Service Against Domestic Abuse (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40731/15]

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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One of Tusla’s key priorities is to ensure that the needs of victims of domestic violence are being met in the best way possible. For this reason, the 2015 budget was directed towards front-line services and working towards ensuring that no potential service user is disadvantaged because of geography.

Tusla recognises that organisations providing services to meet the needs of victims of domestic violence have made huge efforts to maintain services in the face of funding and other challenges and is committed to enhancing support for front-line domestic violence services. Tusla considers, that there is scope for a more coordinated and more equitable approach to the provision of domestic violence services across the country.

Tusla in its budget for 2015 provided funding of €47,146 to the service referred to by the Deputy. This is the same level of funding that the service received in 2014.

I recently announced a significant increase in the funding allocation to Tusla for next year. Tusla will have available to it some €676 million in funding, representing an increase of €38 million over 2015. The precise level of funding to be provided to Domestic Violence Services for next year will now be considered by Tusla in developing its Business Plan for 2016, which will be sent to me for consideration.

The Government, since its establishment, has attached particular priority to supporting vulnerable children and families and the significant increase in funding being made available to Tusla next year represents further evidence of our delivery on this ambition. Tusla will continue to engage with stakeholders in Co. Westmeath around how best to provide domestic violence support services as part of integrated community-based services.

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