Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 May 2016
919. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the cost of increasing Womens Aid to fund the extension of the national freephone helpline to become a 24 hour, seven day a week service. [12571/16]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender based violence. The Agency’s key priority is to ensure that the needs of survivors are met in the best way possible. Domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services have been developed as a specialist national service with a single line of accountability and a dedicated national budget of €20.6m in 2016.
Ireland has recently signed the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention). Tusla has been provided with additional funding of €200,000 in 2016, which it requested, to begin the process of implementation of the Convention. As the agency with statutory responsibility for care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender based violence, Tusla will work collaboratively with service provider organisations, statutory agencies and other stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of objectives of the Convention.
Under the Istanbul Convention, there is an obligation to have dedicated, free 24 hour national helplines in place for contact around issues of domestic and sexual violence.
Women's Aid receives a significant level of State funding. In 2016, Tusla has allocated funding of €600,000 to Women’s Aid. Tusla is currently engaged with Women’s Aid around service and funding arrangements for 2016, including provision of its helpline services to support the availability of a co-ordinated, accessible national helpline service that can provide both initial contact points and facilitate integrated responses to victims of domestic violence wherever they are in the country.
Tusla recognises the valuable work of Women’s Aid and other organisations providing services in the area of domestic and sexual violence and is committed to the development of these services in line with its statutory remit.
At all times Tusla’s key priority is to ensure that the needs of victims of domestic and sexual violence, are being met in the best way possible, with a focus on addressing inequalities in access to services and assuring availability of consistent and high quality services.
