Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 May 2020
1155. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the additional budgetary allocation related to Covid-19 for victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence related services her Department has allocated. [6853/20]
View answerThe response to Domestic, Sexual Violence and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV) is a cross Departmental and multi-agency issue. Policy is coordinated by the Department of Justice and Equality (DJE). Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of DSGBV.
The Department of Children and Youth Affairs is providing Tusla with €25.3m this year for almost 60 organisations that deliver services for these victims. This includes funding and coordinated supports for 22 services that provide emergency refuge and non-refuge accommodation to victims of domestic violence.
Tusla has advised the Department that, to date, it has allocated an additional €250,000 to DSGBV service providers to support continuity of business and essential service provision related to COVID-19 including additional accommodation; staffing capacity and ICT to enable remote working. The Agency has advised that the full year forecast is an estimated €0.750 million in additional funding for the DSGBV Services voluntary sector due to the impact of the Covid-19 crisis.
