Vol. 523 No. 3
70 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the total funding provided by his Department for victim support; the percentage of overall departmental expenditure this represents; the proposals he has for improved support services for victims of crime in view of the serious trauma suffered by many; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20185/00]
The total funding provided by my Department for the Victim Support organisation for this year is £855,000, representing just under 1% of the overall departmental budget for 2000. A total of £2,431,000 has been allocated over the past four years, a substantial rise from the funding levels of £280,000 in 1997. My Department is in continuing contact with Victim Support in relation to the improvement and development of services for crime victims.
Apart from funding for the Victim Support organisation, my Department also caters for other general victim support measures including compensation payments for personal injuries criminally inflicted, which accounts for £2,884,000 of my Department's budget for this year.
The Deputy will also be aware that the Taoiseach appointed my colleague, Deputy Mary Wallace, to chair the National Steering Committee on Violence Against Women. The work of the committee is funded by my Department and involves the provision of a multi-agency, multidisciplinary and cohesive response to women who experience domestic violence, rape and/or sexual assault. Funding of the provision of services to women who experience such violence is in the main provided by the relevant health boards.
