Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 June 2016
562. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will restore funding to the Women's Aid organisation and to the extension of its national freefone helpline to a 24 hour, seven day service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17034/16]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency, is in receipt of funding of €20.6m in 2016, to support for frontline Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based services. This includes additional funding of €200,000 to support Tusla in implementing the provisions of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (the Istanbul Convention). The overall level of funding provided to Tusla is supporting some 60 services throughout the country:
- 20 Crisis Refuges and support services,
- 16 Rape Crisis Centres, and
- 24 Domestic Violence Support Services.
There is an obligation under the Istanbul Convention to have dedicated free 24 hour national helplines in place for contact around issues of domestic violence and sexual violence. Helpline provision will be a specific theme within Tusla’s commissioning processes into the future.
Tusla recognises the substantive work undertaken by Women’s Aid in the current provision of national helpline services for domestic violence and also the many other specialist domestic violence service provider organisations that operate helpline contact.
The Agency is working with these organisations and other stakeholders as part of its helpline commissioning process. The intention is to support the availability of co-ordinated, accessible national helpline services that can provide both initial contact points and facilitate integrated responses to victims of domestic violence. The issue of costs as well as service specifications, will be considered as part of the helpline commissioning process.
Tusla is currently engaged with Women’s Aid around service and funding arrangements for 2016, including provision of its helpline services.
At all times the Agency’s key priority will be to ensure that the needs of victims and survivors of domestic, sexual and gender based violence are being met in the best way possible and to address issues of equity in access to and outcomes from services.
