Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 14 December 2016
73. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the way she will ensure the implementation of the minimum standards outlined by the 2015 EU victims' directive in respect of adequate funding for sexual and domestic violence services. [40296/16]
View answerI will shortly publish the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Bill to transpose the EU victims directive into Irish law.
Funding for domestic and sexual violence services is primarily a matter for the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and Tusla, the Child and Family Agency operating under the aegis of that Department.
The Victims of Crime Office in my Department provides funding to victim support services generally and domestic and sexual violence services in particular. The bulk of the money to these two sectors is for court accompaniment of victims. In the budget for 2016 and again in the budget for 2017 I secured increases in funding for victim services generally. In 2016 the domestic and sexual violence services received increased funding and when the allocations for 2017 are finalised shortly both sectors will be granted increases also.
