Tusla, the Child and Family has advised that it is aware of the financial pressures currently being experienced by Offaly Domestic Violence Support Services and has already made arrangements to provide additional funding of €6,000 to the service in line with the shortfall identified by the service.
Offaly Domestic Violence Support Services has already received an additional €8,000 from Tusla in 2016, over and above funding allocated in 2015. With both tranches of additional funding, Offaly Domestic Violence Support Services will receive a total of €71,818 from Tusla this year. This represents a very considerable increase of €14,000 in the current year, compared with total funding of €57,818 in 2015.
Through its service arrangement processes, Tusla is engaged with Offaly Domestic Violence Support Services to support continuity of service provision to victims of domestic violence in Co. Offaly and a meeting is scheduled with the organisation in November.
I can confirm that on foot of Budget 2017, Tusla will be increasing its investment nationally on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services. Tusla's approach in terms of future planning for these services will seek to address gaps, avoid duplication and support the effective delivery of frontline services nationally. Domestic Violence services in Co. Offaly and the wider Midlands area are being considered as part of Tusla’s commissioning processes to ensure that the needs of victims across the country are being met in the most efficient and sustainable way.