Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 January 2017
777. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the amount of funding a group (details supplied) received in 2016; and the amount it should expect to receive in 2017 and when. [4292/17]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender based violence whether in the context of the family or otherwise. 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.
A network of 60 organisations provide services to victims of domestic, sexual and gender based violence in Ireland, including 20 services providing emergency refuge accommodation to women and children and 24 community-based domestic violence services. Tusla has established a more co-ordinated approach for provision of these services with a dedicated national budget and a single line of accountability. National investment in domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services will increase this year.
Tusla has advised that it allocated €131,539 to the Centre referred to by the Deputy, in 2016. Tusla is currently engaging with organisations in the domestic, sexual and gender based violence services sector regarding funding and service arrangements for 2017 and will be confirming funding to individual organisations in due course.
I have emphasised to Tusla, the priority that I attach to the provision of services for those impacted by domestic violence. In 2017, Tusla is giving priority to implementing actions contained in the second National Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Strategy, in preparation for ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (the Istanbul Convention), which includes improving access to services geographically, including the provision of additional short-term and safe, emergency accommodation for women and children.
