As I have previously informed the Deputy, the Government committed to an audit of how responsibility for measures to combat and prevent domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is segmented across different government agencies.
I am pleased to report that this has been undertaken by external consultants in consultation with NGOs and frontline service providers, with input from the relevant Government Departments and Agencies.
The audit will assist in ensuring that we have the right structures in place so that Government can best tackle the issues giving rise to these dreadful crimes.
The Audit Report has now been finalised and submitted to me. Together with my colleague, Minister Roderic O’Gorman, I expect to bring it to Government before the summer recess. We will then publish the report, once the necessary consultations at Government level have been completed. As the Deputy is no doubt aware, work has commenced on the development of the Third National Strategy on DSGBV and I look forward to the audit informing that important process.