Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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179. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the reason he refuses to fund a second sexual abuse and violence in Ireland survey in view of the fact that it has the support of numerous Cabinet Ministers and that there is a need for reliable and updated statistics in order to adequately respond to this issue (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45183/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The Government is totally committed to preventing and addressing sexual abuse and gender-based violence in Ireland.

The 2002 SAVI report was a ground-breaking study when it was published but much has changed for the better in the 15 years since then.

We now can draw on some excellent data sources including the EU-wide Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) study on violence against women (2014) which provided comparative prevalence data across all 28 EU member states and included modules on cyber stalking and cyber harassment.

The EU Eurobarometer study also provided comparative data for each of the 28 member states on attitudes to violence against women in 2016.

Eurostat, the EU statistics body, is gearing up to survey gender-based violence victimisation. It is anticipated that Ireland’s Central Statistics Office (CSO) would take part in any EU wide victimisation survey.

Existing Garda data on sexual crimes, published by the Central Statistics Office, has also been strengthened, ensuring a more robust time series of data.

The Courts Service publishes annual figures on the number of sexual offences being dealt with by the courts and the country's six Sexual Assault Treatment Units have a unified reporting system on the use of their medical and forensic services.

Moving beyond data, the Government has also instituted important legislative and policy changes. This includes the formulation of the 1st and 2nd National Strategies on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, the second strategy running to 2021. As one of more than sixty actions in the second strategy €1m a year has been committed in 2016 and 2017 to a six year awareness raising campaign on domestic and sexual violence. This was in response to a demand from NGOs for societal change on these issues.

The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 was enacted on 22 February 2017. It enhances and updates laws to combat the sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children, including new offences relating to child sexual grooming and new and strengthened offences to tackle child pornography. The Act also criminalises the purchase of sexual services, introduces new provisions regarding the giving of evidence by victims in sexual offence trials and introduces a new offence addressing public indecency. Other provisions include maintaining the age of consent to sexual activity at 17 years of age and for a new “proximity of age” defence as well as a statutory statement of the law as regards consent to sexual acts.

Further, Tusla has granted €22.1 million to the domestic and sexual violence organisations providing supports to victims of crime in 2017, up €1.5m from 2016.

Consideration is being given to a further SAVI type study in the context of more recent data in relation to sexual violence being available to underpin and inform policy development, along with the need for ongoing investment in support services for victims, and the priority implementation of the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence.

The Government has a constructive relationship with advocacy groups and service providers and I and Minister of State Stanton continue to engage with groups active in this area including the National Women's Council of Ireland and the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.  At a meeting yesterday between the DRCC and Minister Stanton it was agreed that the Centre would prepare and submit a written proposal aimed at establishing the data that is not available and which might be considered necessary to inform the formulation of policy. I will of course give this proposal full consideration when it is received.