Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 October 2019
70. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason a refuge (details supplied) was refused funding in Budget 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43274/19]
View answerI understand that Tusla has not made any decisions about funding for Amber Women's Refuge, the organisation to which the Deputy refers on foot of Budget 2020. Tusla has yet to make any such decisions in relation to the services it funds in 2020.
The Deputy will be aware that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, supports Amber Women's Refuge as part of its role to provide care and protection for victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.
I was pleased to visit Amber Women's Refuge when I was in Kilkenny earlier this year, on Deputy Funchion's invitation. I commend the staff there on their great work.
Tusla has informed me that Amber Women's Refuge is receiving €506,468 in funding in 2019.
Tusla has advised me that it has not yet engaged with Amber Women's Refuge in relation to funding for 2020. Details of funding and required service provision will be agreed in a Service Level Agreement between Tusla and Amber Women's Refuge in the coming months.
In 2019, I provided Tusla with an additional €1.5m to provide additional targeted supports for domestic and sexual violence services. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that good progress has been made in the roll out of these additional resources by service providers.
The Deputy will also be aware that I announced an increase in the funding allocation to Tusla for 2020. Some €814 million in funding will be available to Tusla next year. This represents an increase in funding of almost 4% over 2019.
Arising from Budget 2020, I will shortly be issuing Tusla with its Performance Statement for 2020 in line with the provisions of the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013. Tusla will, in response to the Performance Statement, prepare a Business Plan for 2020 which will be submitted to me for consideration.
The precise level of funding to be allocated to specific services provided by or on behalf of Tusla will be considered by Tusla, in preparing its Business Plan, having regard to the overall level of funding available in 2020.
It is not my intention to prescribe the specific level of funding to be allocated to individual services. It is more appropriate, in my view, that Tusla first sets out its proposals for this important service area. Tusla will consider its statutory remit and take account of the totality of funding available next year, in this process.
