Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 May 2024
424. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Justice to provide an update on additional funding sources to enable the office of the Ombudsman for Children to contribute to the working of the new strategy combatting domestic and gender-based violence; the reason for the delay in providing the funding despite assurances that it would be given; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22460/24]
View answerCombatting all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) is a priority for me and my Department and this is reflected in a range of policies and legislation I have introduced, as well as increases secured in successive Budget allocations.
As the Deputy will be aware, in June 2022 I published an ambitious €363 million, Zero Tolerance Strategy to be delivered from 2022 to 2026.
The Strategy rightly recognises children as victims / survivors of domestic violence in their own right and includes priority actions on making our systems work better for children who have suffered as a result of sexual and domestic violence.
Zero Tolerance is a whole of Government Plan and as the Deputy will be aware, it is the responsibility of each Department or body to prioritise the implementation of those actions which have been agreed to, either from within existing resources or through funding they secure in the annual estimates process.
Resourcing of the Office of the Ombudsman for Children is the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and my Department does not have a role. While the previous implementation plan for the Strategy, which ran to the end of 2023, envisaged that the Office of the Ombudsman for Children would use their expertise to ensure the child-centred actions are implemented in a way that best meets the needs of children, I have been informed that it was not possible to reach agreement on the precise parameters of this policy advice role and the resources that would be required.
At the request of the Office of the Ombudsman for Children, I agreed to remove the reference to his Office from the 2024 implementation plan for the Strategy. If in the future, the Office of the Ombudsman for Children is in a position to secure the resources required and commit to undertake this role, I would be very happy to re-engage on this.
