Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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289. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the reason there is no programme for perpetrators of domestic abuse in counties Monaghan and Donegal; the steps he will take to rectify same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41975/18]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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290. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the funding allocated to domestic violence perpetrator programmes in each county in the past five years. [41976/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 289 and 290 together.

Cosc, the national office in this policy area, is currently supporting and overseeing the implementation of a uniform national domestic violence intervention programme under the Second National Strategy for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender- based Violence, 2016-2021. The roll out of this programme, entitled the Choices Programme, began in 2017.

Choices is now being delivered across the State by the following three organisations working with men who engage in domestic abuse and in providing support to their partners/ex-partners; MOVE Ireland (MEND), South East Domestic Violence Intervention Programme (SEDVIP) and the North East Domestic Violence Intervention Programme (NEDVIP).

Prior to this, these organisations were running separate types of domestic abuse intervention programmes locally with funding support provided by Cosc.

Currently, the Choices programme, which includes a number of different components including one to one work, group work and partner support work, is being delivered in 18 site locations across the State. Details of this are provided in the table.

I can advise the Deputy that funding under this programme is not allocated on a county by county basis. As the work of programme co-ordinators under the Choices programme does not operate on a county basis it is not possible to provide a county by county breakdown of its costs.

Details of the funding provided by Cosc to the respective service providers in delivering intervention programmes over the period sought is enclosed.

It is proposed that over the lifetime of the National Strategy the Choices programme will be introduced to additional locations. This matter is being examined by the existing service providers in partnership with Cosc.

Other options in the further development of this work, such as the provision of one to one supports are also being explored in cases where group programmes may not be immediately viable.

Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programme Organisation Funding

Choices Domestic Abuse Intervention Programme October 2018