David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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958. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 340 of 13 October 2020, the approximate waiting times for victims of sexual abuse to receive specialist counselling at each of the crisis centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32597/20]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV). In 2020, I am providing core funding of €25.3m to Tusla to support the DSGBV sector, including 16 rape crisis centres throughout the country. In addition to core funding, an additional €1.2 million has been reserved for DSGBV services funded by Tusla to respond to the challenges arising from Covid-19 in 2020.

As Tusla provides direct funding to rape crisis centres, each organisation has a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with Tusla, and engages with Tusla in relation to service issues on a regular basis. I have asked Tusla to respond directly to the Deputy with regard to waiting lists for counselling in individual rape crisis centres around the country.