Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1040. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the amount of State funding provided to charities and support organisations for female and male victims of domestic violence in 2019, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32357/20]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Tusla, the Child and Family Agency under the aegis of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence (DSGBV) and are the primary funders of organisations that deliver front-line services. In 2019, Tusla allocated €25.3 million to Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence services, an increase of €1.5 million over 2018. Tusla provided funding and coordination supports to 59 front-line DSGBV service providers, comprising community-based domestic violence services, rape crisis services, and services that provide emergency refuge accommodation for survivors of domestic violence throughout the country.

My Department provides funding to promote and assist the development of support services to victims of crime, including domestic and sexual crime. In 2019, funding of €1.712m was allocated to a large number of non-governmental organisations across the State in providing a wide range of supports to victims of crime, including sexual and gender based violence. These services provide important information and support to victims of crime, including emotional support, court accompaniment, accompaniment to Garda interviews and to sexual assault treatment units, counselling and referral to other services.

My Department also funds the Choices Programme, a uniform national domestic abuse intervention programme for men. This programme is a group work intervention to support and challenge men engaged in domestic abuse to change their abusive behaviour and attitudes towards their partners, while maintaining and supporting the safety and well-being of women and children as paramount. A key feature of the programme is that it also incorporates a separate partner support service that offers one to one support to the partners or ex partners of the men on the group programme.

I also secured €2.7million in increased funding to combat domestic, sexual and gender based violence, as well as support for victims, in Budget 2021.

Details of the monies paid out to services in 2019 are set out in the table below. The funding is allocated to agencies on the basis of their application and is not made on the basis of gender.