Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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543. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when the SAVI 2 report, originally commissioned in 2018 by the then-Minister for Justice to provide updated national data on sexual abuse and violence in Ireland, is due to be published (details supplied); the reasons for the prolonged delay; if she will commit to publishing an interim statement or summary of the progress to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35191/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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A new CSO survey providing national prevalence figures on sexual violence in Ireland was published in April 2023.

The Sexual Violence Survey, commissioned and funded by my Department, focused on respondents’ experiences of a broad spectrum of sexual violence and harassment.

The survey covers a range of behaviours from non-contact sexual violence right through to non-consensual sexual intercourse, or rape.

It was generally understood that this was an area that tended to be underreported and that the numbers we have had up to then did not reflect the true extent of the problem. That is why my Department commissioned the CSO to undertake this wide-scale, nationally-representative prevalence survey.

The results can be found here: www.cso.ie/en/statistics/crimeandjustice/sexualviolencesurvey/

From a methodology perspective, the Sexual Violence Survey (SVS) was not a repeat of the previous Sexual Assault and Violence in Ireland (SAVI) survey from 2002. SVS and SAVI used different methodologies and so it is not possible to compare the results from both. The SVS survey built upon the work of the 2018 Scoping Group on Sexual Violence Data reflecting changes in society since 2002, as well as changes in Data Protection.

Using the SVS data, we now know the full extent of this problem and we have a baseline to measure the impact of our work across Government, as well as to help us to develop policy and provide the necessary supports and services. It also underlines the importance of having our whole-of-Government zero tolerance approach to DSGBV.

This is clearly set out in Zero Tolerance, our third national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

The actions within it reflect the importance of a range of areas, including education, training, awareness-raising, supports, robust legislation and importantly, having a victim-centred approach to all of our work in this priority area. We are committed to delivering on the goal of this strategy - a society that does not accept any form of domestic, sexual or gender-based violence.

I recently launched the final implementation plan for Zero Tolerance, which includes 95 actions across various Government departments and state agencies.

The Government is delivering on the commitments in the Strategy to achieve a society where sexual violence, and the toxic attitudes that fuel it, are not accepted. Under the Strategy we have already introduced a range of legal reforms to help achieve this. Coupled with other legislative measures that I am progressing I am delivering a clear message that sexual abuse and sexual violence will not be tolerated, that survivors will be supported and perpetrators will be held accountable.