Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 June 2021
118. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 1462 of 21 April 2021, the status of the audit of the way responsibility for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is segmented across different State agencies; when the audit will be finalised and published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30211/21]
View answer127. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice the status of the progress in addressing recommendation 1.3 of Supporting a Victim's Journey: A Plan to Help Victims and Vulnerable Witnesses in Sexual Violence Cases, (details supplied). [30067/21]
View answer137. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Justice the status of the development of the next strategy to tackle domestic, sexual and gender-based violence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29393/21]
View answerI would appreciate it if the Minister of State could zone in on my question. We will hear a lot about the national strategy on violence that is to be published but my question is about the status of the audit into the way responsibility for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is segmented across different State agencies. I ask the Minister of State to give me a very specific answer on that, amidst whatever else she is going to tell me.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 118, 127 and 137 together.
The Government is fully committed to combating domestic violence in all its forms. I am acutely aware of the effects of these awful crimes and there was a significant increase in calls to An Garda Síochána in this regard in 2020. Recommendation 1.3 from Supporting a Victim's Journey is focused on developing better inter-agency co-operation and communication and suggests three sub-actions to deliver on this. The first is to conduct an audit of how responsibility for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services are segmented. A draft report was recently submitted to both the Department of Children Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the Department of Justice and has been finalised. I expect it will be presented to me shortly and I will then discuss its recommendations with the Minister, Deputy O’Gorman.
It might be helpful for the Deputies here if the Minister of State explained the process. Deputy Cairns may also wish to contribute.
I think that Deputy Connolly is the only Deputy in the Chamber in whose name this question was submitted.
Lovely. Does that mean I get all the extra time?
The other Deputies are not here, so I will be relatively relaxed. The clock is ticking.
The specific question I asked concerned the audit. The Minister of State is telling me that the draft is there. When was that draft presented to the Department? When will it be published? This is one of several actions in this context, as the Minister of State said. We are waiting on the audit of the available emergency accommodation for victims of sexual and gender-based domestic violence from Tusla. I asked about that matter yesterday. That is not available yet either. We know all the figures, and we know that the Garda has done its best and that the wonderful Operation Faoiseamh was put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic. The worry, of course, is whether the resources will be there afterwards. In addition, the immediate worry is the horrific increase in domestic violence. The Garda Commissioner's report stated that domestic assaults had risen by 24% compared with the previous year, from 2019 to 2020. Calls in that regard had gone up by 16%. I could go on, but I will not. I ask the Minister of State to respond with precision.
Regarding the figures for Operation Faoiseamh, which began at the start of the pandemic, An Garda Síochána and the Government have put a major focus on this area. An Garda Síochána received approximately 43,500 calls to respond to domestic abuse incidents in 2020, which was an increase of 17%. More than 4,000 criminal charges were created in 2020 for breaches of orders under the Domestic Violence Act 2018, which is an increase of 24%. The Garda received approximately 10,000 calls to respond to domestic abuse incidents in the first quarter of this year, an increase of 7%, and more than 1,000 criminal charges were created in the first quarter of this year for breaches of orders under the Domestic Violence Act 2018. The increase in reported incidents during the restrictions, together with the proactive approach taken by An Garda Síochána, has resulted in more files being referred to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, for prosecution. This demonstrates that Operation Faoiseamh is working and it reinforces the message that perpetrators cannot act with impunity.
Regarding the audit, I expect it to come before me very shortly and I will be discussing the report with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman. I completely comprehend the urgency regarding this matter and it is a priority for the Department.
I thank the Minister of State for that response. I appreciate it, and I know she understands the urgency associated with this issue. However, I have heard the word "shortly" already in respect of the promise from Tusla on emergency accommodation. I think at least nine counties have no refuges at all for victims of domestic violence. We have all the numbers from which we could quote, but it is doing a disservice for us, myself included, to quote these figures in a bland sort of way, given the amount of violence and suffering that is going on and is increasing.
The segmentation of services through all the Departments was the reason for this audit being undertaken. That is why it is important. It is to ensure that there is one point of contact and leadership in this area. We saw something similar concerning the national maternity strategy yesterday, in respect of there being no leadership on driving and implementing it. We know the figures for domestic abuse. We know they are rising and it is unacceptable. We want action now. The Minister for Justice told us that there would be such action and we respected that statement. This audit is only a tiny part of that action.
That is a priority. Deputy Connolly raised this issue yesterday, as she said, in respect of funding for refuge spaces. That falls within the remit of Tusla and it has undertaken a review of the need for refuge spaces and other accommodation. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, is committed to ensuring that the needs of service users are met and that the recommendations of the review inform strategic actions under the third national strategy for domestic sexual and gender-based violence. Tusla also continues its ongoing engagement with all its funded service providers regarding service needs and supports, as the Deputy is aware. There are some 60 services throughout the country and we are acutely aware that the housing crisis is placing additional pressures on refuges and is making identifying longer-term services more difficult. Tusla has also advised that the length of stay for women and families in refuges has increased due to the lack of appropriate move-on accommodation. I assure the Deputy, however, that we are doing much work at Government level concerning that audit and also regarding supporting victims' journeys. A great deal of work is happening in that area and its progression is a priority for me.
