Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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84. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Question No. 1682 of 17 January 2017, the role the Garda will have in the process of creating a national service model for sexual abuse services for children and their families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7508/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will appreciate that the development of the national service model which she refers to is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. However, to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have made enquiries with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and am advised that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is currently leading a national, multiagency process to implement a national service model for sexual abuse services for children and their families. Tusla has advised that An Garda Síochána are represented on the National Steering Committee for Sexual Abuse Services which has been established to facilitate and promote integration and coordination of the key stakeholder agencies in the development of sexual abuse services for children in Ireland. I understand that other agencies involved in this process are Tusla, the HSE, the Children's Hospital Group, the Probation Service and the CARI Foundation.