Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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194. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the funding which is provided for groups or programmes which assist men that have or are likely to engage in intimate partner abuse; the numbers of men that have engaged in such programmes; if there is information on the success of these programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40208/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The second national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a whole of government response to these issues. As part of that strategy's objective of holding perpetrators to account and supporting victims, there is an action to establish a single national programme for perpetrators of domestic violence, to replace the different existing programme

Domestic violence perpetrator intervention programmes in Ireland are delivered by three organisations and in 2016 programmes were delivered in 14 locations.

In 2016 the funding paid by my Department for running these programmes amounted to €653,500.

There were 187 interventions with men on domestic violence perpetrator programmes in 2016. Interventions include individual assessments for programme applicants, one to one work with men in relation to their participation in groups to address the offending behaviour(s) and working with them in such groups. The programmes have been developed in order to maximise the safety of female partners and ex-partners of the men on the programmes and their children. All programmes have a dedicated partner contact element where partners are provided with practical support and advice. In 2016, 102 partners/ex-partners participated in the partner contact arrangements facilitated by the perpetrator programmes.

Informal feedback suggests that the programmes give rise to positive outcomes in relation to the safety of women and children and positive outcomes also for the men. 

A new uniform national programme is due to be delivered by all domestic violence perpetrator programmes commencing shortly. Importantly it is intended that it will involve systematic follow up with programme participants and partners, once the first group of participants have completed that programme.