Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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44. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the measures she will bring forward to tackle domestic violence; the supports her Department provides towards domestic violence refuges; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34658/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Domestic violence is a social evil and the protection of members of society from domestic violence remains a priority for me and my Department. Drafting of the Domestic Violence Bill is at an advanced stage. It is my intention that the Bill will be submitted for Government approval and published during the current Dáil session. The Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence 2016-2021 was published by me in January. A multi-annual action plan to enable ratification of the Council of Europe Istanbul Convention is part of the action plan of the second national strategy. The Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Bill is also being drafted for publication as a priority.

The Deputy may also wish to note I recently announced the awarding of contracts for a national awareness campaign as part of the Second National Strategy. The campaign will be launched tomorrow and it is intended that it will run for a period of 6 years up to 2021, subject to the continued availability of the necessary funding. The overall aim of the campaign is to increase the awareness of domestic and sexual violence, to bring about a change in long established societal behaviours and attitudes and to activate bystanders with the aim of decreasing and preventing this violence. It will recognise that women and men are victims of such crimes.

The Deputy will be aware that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency is the primary funder for refuges and that this a matter for the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. I understand however that funding for the domestic violence sector in 2016 by Tusla was in the region of €16.5 million.