Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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274. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if her attention has been drawn to a report (details supplied) which indicates a 7% increase in 2021 on the numbers contacting centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54078/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I want to assure the Deputy that combatting sexual violence is a priority for this Government.

Our continued focus in this area is reflected in the recently launched Zero Tolerance Strategy to combat domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, and in the extra €9m allocated to tackle these heinous crimes under Budget 2023.

The rise in the number of people contacting centres as referred to by the Deputy is in line with figures recently released by An Garda Síochána in relation to increased rates of reporting for sexual offences.

Tusla has worked collaboratively with contacting centres and the other DSGBV Services to ensure they are supported to meet the increased demand for services, with an additional allocation of €7m to DSGBV Services, bringing the overall Tusla funding for the sector to over €37m in Budget 2023.

The new Strategy has a clear focus on preventing sexual violence and ensuring that victims are better supported.

Actions which will be delivered across government include:

- Updated secondary school curricula at junior and senior cycle to include consent, coercive control and safe use of the internet;

- Improved training for professionals and support staff;

- Work to remove the legal barriers that prevent individuals experiencing sexual or domestic violence remaining at home where it is safe to do so;

- Engagement with the judiciary to consider the creation of specialised judges for domestic, sexual and gender based violence cases;

- Legislation to introduce stand-alone offences of stalking and non-fatal strangulation, as well as a new Sexual Offences Bill and the Hate Crime Bill.

I also continue to prioritise work to implement in full ‘Supporting a Victim’s Journey’, creating a victim-centred justice system and supporting victims of sexual violence.

To date, a number of key actions have been delivered as part of implementing Supporting a Victim’s Journey including:

- The introduction of preliminary trial hearings;

- The nationwide rollout of Divisional Protective Services Units (DPSUs);

- The first cohort of staff at a new sexual offences unit in the Director of Public Prosecutions office formally took up their roles last year;

- Work to advance the training for all personnel who come into contact with vulnerable victims is under way;

- The University of Limerick last month began training intermediaries.