Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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504. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 244 of 6 December 2018, the status of the engagement of Tusla in a needs analysis project in the Border region to identify gaps in service provision and to prioritise the development of sexual violence services; the stage at which the engagement is at; if a report will be made available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10715/19]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I have secured additional funding of €1.5m for Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence services in 2019, which brings the total available funding for these services this year to €25.3m.

As part of its commissioning approach to the development of services, Tusla is currently engaged in a needs analysis project in the Border region to identify gaps in service provision and to prioritise the development of sexual violence services. This project has commenced, and is progressing. All future service developments will be informed by Tusla's commissioning approach. 

Tusla has commissioned a consultant who will be responsible, amongst other tasks, for the preparation of a final report on the needs with regard to sexual violence services in the Border region. The anticipated delivery date for the report is Quarter 3, 2019. An advisory group is also in place with this needs analysis, and it has convened on a number of occasions.

It is important that the needs of victims and survivors of sexual violence are met in the best way possible. I strongly support the work of Tusla, and I am committed to supporting the Agency in meeting the needs of individuals who experience sexual violence.