Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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337. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her views on the Zero Tolerance Strategy implementation plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38804/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, I have prioritised combatting domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) and supporting victims of these heinous crimes since my appointment to this role.

In 2022, I published the Government’s Zero Tolerance Strategy to tackle DSGBV.

This ambitious, five-year plan was accompanied by a detailed implementation plan which covered the first 18 months, with annual plans thereafter. This ensures the Strategy is a living document and emerging issues can be incorporated.

Earlier this year, I established Cuan, the new DSGBV Agency, which is key to delivering on the ambition of the Strategy. Responsibility for coordinating the implementation of the Strategy moved to the Agency in the second quarter of this year, following the publication of the second implementation plan in early April.

In both the 2023 Plan and the 2024, each action has been assigned to a particular body within a specific timeline.

It is my intention to publish a mid-year progress report on implementation of the Zero Tolerance Strategy in the coming weeks.

I believe this implementation plan is a vital mechanism for realising the actions outlined in our Zero Tolerance Strategy. Not only does it focus on specific deliverables, but it also takes a comprehensive survivor-centred approach, offering both immediate support and long-term care for survivors. Its focus on prevention, education and research is crucial in addressing the root causes of DSGBV. By design, its inclusive and collaborative approach, engaging various sectors, ensures that the needs of all communities are acknowledged.

The Deputy will also be aware that one of the overarching goals of Zero Tolerance is to ensure that everyone who needs a refuge space will get one.

As part of our work to double the number of refuge units, I was delighted to launch a new women’s refuge in Wexford in September - the first of 18 priority locations to complete construction.

Including the new family units in Wexford, a total of 16 new refuge units will be completed and opened before the end of the year. This will bring the number of domestic violence units across the country to 166.

Alongside colleagues in Cuan, we are working with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and the Housing Agency to put in place the necessary structures and supports to accelerate the delivery of additional refuge accommodation year on year.

I can inform the Deputy that construction work will begin on a further 12 refuge units by the end of the year.

Recent legislative reform I have introduced under Zero Tolerance includes a focus on making the criminal justice system more victim-focused. The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Act 2024, which was signed into law in July, strengthens the law on sexual offences and improves protections for victims of sexual offences and of human trafficking.

I also enacted the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act which has a particular focus on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence;

• increasing the maximum penalty for assault causing harm – one of the most commonly prosecuted violent offences – from 5 years to 10 years.
• introducing a new standalone offence of non-fatal strangulation, which can be a precursor to murder in domestic abuse situations.
• introducing a standalone offence of stalking and strengthening the law around harassment.
• the Act also provides for the making of civil orders restraining stalking conduct, and covers anonymity of witnesses in criminal proceedings.