Combatting all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based remains a priority for me and this Government.
'Zero Tolerance,' the Third National Strategy (TNS) on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV) which was published by Minister McEntee last year, sets out an ambitious five-year programme of reform to achieve a society which does not accept DSGBV and seeks to empower those who have suffered any form of these terrible crimes.
Implementation of the Strategy is ensured by diligent oversight and coordination at central Government level.
This whole-of-government priority is overseen by the Cabinet Committee on Social Affairs and Equality chaired by An Taoiseach, a High Level Oversight Board chaired by the Secretaries General to the Departments of the Taoiseach and Justice, with a secretariat in the Department of the Taoiseach to support this Government priority.
The High Level Oversight Board, which meets quarterly, is charged with ensuring that actions in the Strategy are implemented successfully and within the designated timelines across all relevant bodies.
Further to this, a monitoring committee comprising members of the DSGBV NGO sector will convene at the end of this month to examine the progress made in implementing all of the actions under the National Strategy Implementation Plan, as well as to identify best practice in implementation and propose how good practice can be copied and improved.
As the Deputy will be aware, a central element of delivering on the zero tolerance goal of the Strategy is the establishment of a statutory DSGBV agency under the aegis of the Minister for Justice, to be operational by 1 January 2024.
The agency will have a specific mandate to coordinate and drive the implementation of the strategy across Government, bringing the expertise and focus required to tackle this complex social issue.
The new agency will work collaboratively with the NGO and DSGBV services sector to ensure that the best possible services are in place to meet the needs of victims and survivors.
