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Domestic Violence Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 November 2020

Tuesday, 17 November 2020

Questions (650, 659, 675, 680)

Gerald Nash

Question:

650. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Justice the amount of additional ring-fenced funding to be provided to domestic violence services under Budget 2021 in order that services can respond adequately to increased incidence of domestic violence through Covid-19 and beyond; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37133/20]

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Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

659. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Justice the additional ring-fenced funding to be provided by her Department to domestic violence services in Budget 2021 in order that services can respond adequately to the shadow pandemic of domestic violence through Covid-19 and beyond; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36347/20]

View answer

Paul Murphy

Question:

675. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the exact amount of ring-fenced funding across all relevant Departments to be provided to domestic violence services in Budget 2021; and the additional funding that is being allocated in order that services can respond adequately to the shadow pandemic of domestic violence through Covid-19 and beyond. [36881/20]

View answer

John Lahart

Question:

680. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Justice the amount of additional ring-fenced funding to be provided to domestic violence services in Budget 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36948/20]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 650, 659, 675 and 680 together.

Combatting domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a priority for this Government and for me as Minister for Justice.

To date my Department has provided €327,590 in Covid specific funding to help organisations working to support victims of crime, including victims of domestic abuse and I have secured an additional €400,000 to continue this Covid specific support in 2021.

This Covid specific funding has provided additional resources, support, enforcement and services to key organisations in the area of domestic, sexual and gender based violence in response to the increased demand for services during the pandemic. This support is being maintained and increased in budget 2021.

As the Deputies may be aware, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency under the aegis of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence (DSGBV) and is the primary funder of organisations that deliver frontline services. 

In relation to the more general funding for victims of crime, my Department provides funding to promote and assist the development of support services to victims of crime, which includes victims of domestic and sexual crime. In 2020 this funding amounted to €1.9 million and is being increased under Budget 2021 to €2.1 million.

In addition, funding of just over €2 million euro has been allocated to my Department under budget 2021 to combat domestic, sexual and gender-based violence and I have secured an additional €2.3 million to implement the O’Malley recommendations to support vulnerable victims, as set out in Supporting a Victims Journey - A plan to help victims and vulnerable witnesses in sexual violence cases, which I published last month.

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