Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 May 2017
50. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if the forthcoming national domestic violence strategy will have an all-Ireland dimension to co-ordinate responses to domestic and sexual violence. [21154/17]
View answerThe Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence 2016-2021 was published in January 2016. The Programme for Partnership Government includes a commitment to its implementation. The strategy is a whole of Government response aimed at preventing and responding to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in this jurisdiction. The key goals of the strategy are to prevent such violence, support victims and holding perpetrators to account. The strategy also contains those actions necessary for the ratification of the Istanbul Convention. Work on implementing the strategy's actions is ongoing.
Under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Agreement on Co-operation on Criminal Justice Matters, both my Department and the Department of Justice in Northern Ireland and the related criminal justice agencies in both jurisdictions discuss matters of mutual interest including strategies for more effective co-operation on criminal justice matters across the island of Ireland.
Under this framework, information sharing in the policy area of addressing domestic and sexual violence in both jurisdictions is facilitated, in particular, by the work of the Support for the Victims of Crime Advisory Group. This group comprises high-level representation from the relevant criminal justice agencies North and South who promote and co-ordinate practical, operational co-operation, the exchange of best practice and sharing of policy initiatives, which informs policy and operational developments in both jurisdictions. This close co-operation reflects the Government’s strong continuing commitment to cross-Border working for the mutual benefit for all the people of this island.
