Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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592. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the steps being taken to improve supports for people who experience workplace violence, threats, stalking and stranger violence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14191/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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Improving the experience of all victims engaging with the criminal justice system has been a priority for me since taking office. Under Budget 2025, €3,574,000 was allocated to support victims of crime.

Coming forward to report a crime can be a traumatic experience for victims and I am determined to do everything in my power to ensure that the criminal justice system empowers victims to have the confidence to report an offence, knowing they will be supported, informed, and treated respectfully for the entirety of the difficult journey they have to face. A significant amount of work has already been undertaken in this area, including through the implementation of ‘Supporting a Victims Journey’; a detailed implementation plan to give effect to the recommendations made in the O'Malley Review, which was published in 2020.

Reforming our criminal justice system to make it more victim-centred is also a central focus of our Zero Tolerance Strategy for combatting Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence, which builds on the reforms already introduced. The 2024 Zero Tolerance implementation plan was launched last April. Key actions include increasing refuge spaces, empowering frontline professionals, reframing our understanding of ‘safe spaces’, creating a national services development plan and progressing legislative reform. Similar commitments will be progressed in the 2025/2026 implementation plan which Cuan will publish in the coming months.

A number of legislative reforms have been introduced in recent years to better protect people from serious violent offending, including by ensuring increased sentenced are available to the courts for certain violent offences. A new offence of stalking was introduced in 2023, which carries a sentence of up to ten years imprisonment. In the same year, the maximum sentence for assault causing harm was also doubled from 5 to 10 years imprisonment. A sentence of up to life imprisonment is already available for the offence of causing serious harm.

The 'Victims of Crime – Know Your Rights' campaign was launched in April of 2023 in order to inform victims of what to expect, what their legal rights are and the supports available at every step in the process when they engage with the justice system. The campaign directs people to the VictimsCharter.ie website, which sets out an individual's rights in an easily accessible manner and helps victims of crime to locate services and supports.

The rights and obligations of both employers and employees in relation to health and safety at work are set out in the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (as amended) which falls under the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. This Act also provides for substantial fines and penalties for any breaches of the health and safety laws.

Many of the specific health and safety laws are set out in the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007-2020. Information on these regulations is available on the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) website. If the Deputy has further queries in this regard he may wish to put a question to that Department in relation to health and safety at work.