Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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246. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if funding will be provided in her Department’s Estimates for 2019 towards the improvement and the provision of facilities in counties Cavan and Monaghan for victims of domestic abuse; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46355/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual or gender-based violence, whether in the context of the family or otherwise. Accordingly, Tusla has provided funding for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services since its foundation in 2014. This includes services in Counties Cavan and Monaghan.

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 59 services throughout the country.  

Tusla is aware that there is unevenness in the availability of specialist emergency domestic violence accommodation around the country. Additional requirements for services, in particular in areas where emergency domestic violence accommodation is not currently available, including Cavan and Monaghan, will be considered as part of Tusla’s commissioning processes in 2019. Tusla has engaged with stakeholders in the Cavan/Monaghan area about developments in this regard.

Tearmann Services provide support services to women across Cavan and Monaghan who experience domestic violence. Tusla funding to Tearmann in 2018 was €264,000.

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.