Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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414. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 130 of 1 October 2015, his plans for a second sexual abuse and violence in Ireland study; the co-ordination he has undertaken with the relevant Departments on the basis of contact from the Minister for Justice and Equality; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6245/16]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The proposal for a second Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland (SAVI 2) research project envisages a significant level of expenditure over a three year period by my Department and the Departments of Justice and Equality, Health, and Education and Skills. The overall expectation of expenditure is estimated to be approximately € 1,000,000.

Consideration of ongoing financial contributions by my Department over three years gives rise to a number of issues; the availability of funding, the prioritisation of expenditure and competing demands in the area of research and requisite public procurement arrangements.

In relation to funding, apart from the funding of existing commitments relating to the Growing Up in IrelandStudy, my Department has only a very limited commissioned research budget. The majority of this budget has been committed for 2016, 2017 and 2018.

My Department has ascertained from the Child and Family Agency that priority of relevant expenditure by it at present is aimed at enhancing its business intelligence around Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence in order to support planning and commissioning of services. To this end, the Agency is working with funded service provider organisations to implement standard data gathering and reporting mechanisms and address data quality issues. In implementing its obligations under both the Istanbul Convention and commitments under the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, the Agency will be looking at how to address specific research and evidence needs to inform future commissioning and to support measurement of outcomes.

I have also mentioned public procurement considerations, and it remains the case that any commissioned research funded by my Department is subject to a procurement process on foot of a call under our funded research programme or similar, and is done in line with Departmental research priorities.

As regards co-ordination with other Departments in relation to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, this has occurred in the context of the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, which was published by the Minister for Justice and Equality in January 2016. I understand that the Minister for Justice and Equality is responding to a similar Parliamentary Question from the Deputy concerning the requested funding of SAVI 2 research.