Frances Fitzgerald
Ceist:206 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will support a national awareness campaign in order to reduce crimes of violence against women. [16633/98]
Written Answers. - Violence Against Women.
Frances Fitzgerald
Ceist:207 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the funding, if any, on a county to county basis available to groups working to reduce violence against women. [16634/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 206 and 207 together.
I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 51 on Thursday, 25 June 1998 concerning the work to date on implementing the recommendations of the task force on violence against women.
In respect of the funding available on a county by county basis to groups working in this area, it is not possible to give such details. It is open to each organisation to apply at a national, regional or local level to various funding agencies which cater for their respective areas of work, such as the health boards and the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs, for example, or to individual local authorities.
Regional committees on violence against women, which were established in each of the health board regions in May of this year, are carrying out an assessment of the services available in their respective regions, identifying the gaps in these services and drawing up a detailed plan on how best the co-ordination of services can be achieved.