Written answers

Thursday, 5 July 2018

Department of Justice and Equality

Sexual Offences Data

Photo of Jim O'CallaghanJim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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73. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to address the CSO figures which show increases of almost 15% in 2017 in sexual offences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29636/18]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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As I stated last week when the latest crime statistics were released by the CSO, the rise in the recorded incidents of sexual assault, and particularly incidents of rape, is something this Government continues to take very seriously. Those found to have committed such abhorrent crimes will face the full force of the criminal justice system.

While the Deputy will appreciate that the investigation of sexual offences is conducted by An Garda Síochána in the first instance, the Government has also moved to strengthen the legislative provisions in place to deal with these crimes. In this context, the Deputy will be aware that the enactment of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 was a significant development of the law on sexual offences, putting in place a statutory definition for consent to a sexual act. This definition is both clear and wide-ranging, to ensure that the law is succinct and clear in what constitutes rape in this jurisdiction. Furthermore, this Act identifies those most vulnerable to sexual exploitation and it targets those who would take advantage of that.

In addition, the Government recently approved the drafting of two further pieces of legislation: a Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill, which will provide for presumptive minimum sentences for repeat sexual offenders, and the Sex Offenders (Amendment) Bill, which proposes a number of amendments to the Sex Offenders Act 2001 following a review of the management of offenders under that Act. The scheme also includes provisions for the electronic monitoring of sex offenders, and court powers to prohibit a sex offender from working with children. It is my hope that both pieces of legislation will be progressed through the Oireachtas as expediently as possible. I am of course very open to improvement of these Bills by amendment as they go through the Houses on the basis of discussions with all sides.

I can assure the Deputy that the Government remains committed to ensuring astrong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and to deter crime. A total budget of €1.65 billion has been provided to An Garda Síochána in 2018, an increase of 2% on 2017. Furthermore, we are substantially increasing the number of Gardaí. Since the Garda College reopened in September 2014, approximately 2,000 recruits have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and a further 400 members will attest by the end of the year as part of the Government’s commitment to reach an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 by 2021.

An Garda Síochána have set up a National Protective Services Bureau to oversee the investigation of a range of crimes including sexual offences. Divisional Protective Services Units have been established in three Garda divisions, with plans for a further four divisional units in 2018 and establishment of units in all remaining divisions in 2019. These units are staffed by dedicated officers, and will include the investigation of sexual offences in their remit. To date, training for these units has concentrated on domestic abuse. Training workshops have also been delivered to local SORAM (sex offender risk assessment and management) teams in An Garda Síochána.

Finally, while I am disappointed with the increases in sexual offences reported by the CSO last week, an important note here is that these figures do not represent prevalence of sexual violence in Ireland. These numbers are of cases reported to An Garda Síochána only. Increased reporting by victims of sexual offences to An Garda Síochána may also be interpreted as an increase in confidence of victims to report and therefore may be evidence of improved policy making in the area. I would continue to encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault to come forward and report the incident to An Garda Síochána.

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