The overall approach of the State to the problem of domestic violence is to emphasise intervention and an integrated response, as reflected in the co-ordination work of the national steering committee on violence against women, NSC, and in the Garda policy on domestic violence intervention. The NSC is currently working on an new strategy and action plan which will seek to further develop this approach.
Within this general framework, my Department funds a number of organisations providing domestic violence intervention programmes of various types. These include programmes working with perpetrators run by MOVE, Men Overcoming Violence, Ireland, the south east domestic violence intervention programmes and the north east domestic violence intervention project, as well as a pilot domestic violence intervention project in the Bray, Dún Laoghaire area. The provision of funding to any such project is subject to the programme in question making the safety of the victim and any children involved, its first priority. In addition, all such programmes must undergo independent evaluation, the outcome of which will inform future policy and funding in this area.