Written answers

Thursday, 31 May 2018

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Child and Family Agency Services

Photo of Brendan SmithBrendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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219. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to improve services and provide additional facilities in counties Cavan and Monaghan for victims of domestic abuse; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24180/18]

Photo of Katherine ZapponeKatherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the provision of care and protection to victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

In 2018, Tusla is providing €23.8 million in funding to domestic, sexual and gender based violence services, an increase of €1.7m over 2017 funding. This includes funding for some 58 services throughout the country.

The development of services for victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence nationally is guided by the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention), as well as the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (2016-2021). Among the priorities for Tusla, in this regard, is to expand the regional distribution of services.

As previously highlighted to the Deputy, I am aware that there are no refuges located in counties Cavan and Monaghan. However, there are three refuges situated in counties Louth and Meath, which provide emergency domestic violence accommodation to women based in the North East region. This includes 21 family units of emergency refuge accommodation.

As part of its commissioning approach to developing services, Tusla has carried out a number of needs analysis projects in order to identify gaps in service provision and to prioritise service developments. All future service developments, whether based in the North East region or elsewhere, will be informed by Tusla’s commissioning approach. Tusla is currently working with stakeholders in the sector in order to implement the priority actions identified through its needs analysis projects.

At all times, Tusla’s key priority is to ensure that the needs of victims and survivors of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence are met in the best way possible, with due attention to the quality, accessibility, and outcome of services.

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