Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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612. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to consider legal or policy changes to allow State agencies and courts to be able to refer abusers to structured, long-term rehabilitation programs that include therapy, behaviour change, and psychological oversight; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33607/25]

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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675. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality his views on making a national programme to reduce the risk of re-offending mandatory for sexual offenders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34518/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 612 and 675 together.

The courts are required to impose a sentence which is proportionate not only to the crime, but to the individual offender, identifying where on the sentencing range the particular case should lie and then applying any mitigating factors which may be present.

On 16 May 2025, the Judicial Council’s Sentencing Guidelines and Information Committee’s report on sentencing in relation to offences captured by section 40 of the Domestic Violence Act 2018 was published.

I will respond to the questions raised about treatment and rehabilitation programmes under the following headings Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Offences.

Sexual Offences

The Building Better Lives (BBL) programme has been delivered as the treatment programme for sexual offending in Irish Prisons since 2009. It is based on Canada’s Rockwood model of treatment. The programme is provided over two stages; a shorter motivational group Exploring Better Lives; (EBL) and the longer term more intensive treatment group, Practicing Better Lives (PBL). Typically eight participants attend each group and participation occurs in the last 2 years of a person’s prison sentence.

The Irish Prison Service have since developed and implemented a new model of intervention for people who are convicted of a sexual offence called ‘New Chapters’. Anyone who has been convicted of a sexual offence and committed to custody from 1st November 2024 has been managed under this new model.

Where the Court imposes Probation Supervision, as part of sentencing, the Probation Service engages with the offender, be that in custody or the community, carrying out an assessment of areas of risk, which informs a broader case management plan.

PACE is a voluntary sector organisation that works with people with a wide range of criminal convictions. PACE provides three separate programmes aimed at people with convictions for harmful sexual behaviour: Safer Lives Treatment Programme, Foothold Floating Support Service, and Circles of Support and Accountability.

The Safer Lives treatment program is designed to support men who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour. The Safer Lives program is an offence focused strengths-based intervention which aims to reduce the treatment needs/risk of participants.

CoSA (Circles of Support and Accountability). CoSA is a community-based initiative operating on restorative principles. CoSA assists individuals who have been convicted of a serious sexual offence(s) in their efforts to live a life free of crime and harmful behaviour.

The Foothold Floating Support Services was established to provide support for high risk, high need sex offenders who need support in accessing and maintain accommodation in the Greater Dublin area. It is a trauma informed service dealing with clients who have experience of homelessness, addiction and mental health issues (in addition to their harmful sexual behaviour).

Domestic Violence Offences

In line with the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (2022 – 2026) the Probation Service committed to make available a 1:1 rehabilitation programme to be delivered by trained staff as an option for men convicted of intimate partner violence.

Funding has also been secured to underpin the programme with an integrated victim support component to safeguard the partners of these men. This is being done in collaboration with Probation funded perpetrator programme providers MOVE Ireland (Men Overcoming Violence) and MEND (Men Ending Domestic Abuse), both of whom deliver the ‘Choices’ treatment programme. This is a group work intervention focussed on teaching men about the impact of their destructive behaviour on the family. It also supports them to develop the necessary skills to live non abusively.

Probation Officers receive training in responding to perpetrators and victims of domestic abuse and coercive control, as part of in-service training. This includes the SARA 3 risk assessment instrument, which includes the identification of victim vulnerabilities in domestic abuse cases, as well as perpetrator risk factors is utilised by the Probation Service.

Other relevant intervention training undergone by Probation Service staff includes:

• HSE SafeTalk Suicide Prevention Awareness;
• The AIM3 framework for young people with sexually harmful behaviour;
• Autistic Spectrum Disorder considerations for offenders;
• Non-fatal strangulation Awareness Training (delivered by the British based charity, “Safer Lives.”)

• Individual offence focused work by Irish Prison Service Psychology / Probation Service;
• Individual or group work focused on mental health, emotional regulation or other offence related need by Irish Prison Service Psychology Service;
• Psychology ‘Pathways to Change’ group (focuses on an introduction to risk factors);
• Engagement with prison in-reach Psychiatry for stabilisation and maintenance of mental health where a mental health diagnosis is made;
• Sex Offender Risk Assessment and Management (SORAM);